


I Don't Know Why I Got Married

by Geofount



Category: Free!
Genre: AUish, F/M, Marriage, Other country, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn, romance comes late in fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2017-12-29 09:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 243,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1003785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geofount/pseuds/Geofount
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Iwatobi Swim Team goes to another country for the summer, Gou thinks this might be the chance they need to earn some money and help her brother be his old self again. What she didn't plan on is waking up one morning after a night of really stupid drunken partying to find herself married to the Captain of the Samezuka swim team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Marriage

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what I'm doing with my life anymore.
> 
> This is somewhat AU and takes place roughly around episode 5. Rin is still being a butt to everyone but Rei has joined the team and knows how to swim.

Water.

Water everywhere, as far as the eye could see.

Sparking, undulating water like a mirror someone had spilled golden paint on. Ribbons of cloud passed by, swirls of white in the golden reflection. The sun was rising.

Gou sighed and pulled the plastic down over the window, leaning back into her seat. She was sick of looking at water. Besides the water, the inside of the cabin was all she had been able to see for the past ten some odd hours.

In the seat next to her Miho Amakata stirred. Her arm moved and her hand flung out, coming dangerously close to smacking Gou in the face. It wouldn’t be the first time. Amakata flopped around in her sleep like an overactive three year old. Carefully Gou took the hand and placed it by Amakata’s head.

The cabin was very quiet, only the occasional cough, snort, or slight snore ushering from the occupants. The majority of people were sleeping. Even the stewards had retired to some hidden space to catch some shut eye.

In the seat in front of her Gou could see Nagisa’s blond head resting on Rei’s shoulder and Rei’s head atop the smaller boy’s. The two were most certainly conked out. Like sleeping Amakata, Nagisa was like an overactive three year old when wake. Gou couldn’t recall how many times Rei had scolded him for something, not that it stopped Nagisa. Gou wouldn’t have been surprised if Nagisa did it on purpose.

In the seat in front of the two were Makoto and Haru. Gou hadn’t seen or heard much from them. A good thing likely. When they had started flying over the ocean, Haru had promptly crawled over Makoto into the aisle and begun disrobing, intent on swimming in the ocean somehow. Who knew what plan of action Haru had planned to take to get _out_ of the plane. He likely hadn’t thought that far himself.

They would have been kicked off f they weren’t already in the air. As it was Makoto had been forced to sedate Haru. Haru didn’t do well in closed spaces to begin with and he had never flown before. He had moved around elentlessly, standing up in his seat and getting scolded multiple times by the stewards. Makoto had had no choice but to sedate him. It was for the best for all on board.

If Gou leaned far enough to the side she could see Haru’s black hair and his head leaning against the wall. If she stretched herself up far enough she could see Makoto’s spiky hair over his seat. Both sleeping.

Across the aisle from her and Amakata sat Coach Goro Sasabe. He had been quiet most of the trip, except for when he had been yelling at Haru when the teen had started flinging off clothes, content to sit in his seat and read swimsuit magazines. Like the others he too was now sleeping, one of the swimsuit magazines splayed across his lap. Gou glared at its glossy surface, wondering how dirty the material was inside.

Sighing again, she leaned back once more. She had gotten very little sleep. Sleeping in this sort of atmosphere was hard for her and it seemed like anytime she did manage to drift into slumber Amakata would plant her hand in Gou’s cheek. She had given up after awhile and listened to her IPod but it had run out of juice about two hours ago. Looking out the window had only amused Gou for so long and she was finding herself growing more and more bored. She wished someone was awake for her to talk to and she entertained the idea of waking up Amakata but decided against it. The teacher needed all the sleep she could get. Who knew what sort of chaos they would encounter once they landed.

Landed. Gou hoped that was soon. She had forgotten to bring a watch with her and she hadn’t bothered to use her cell phone so she could only guess how long they had been flying for. Probably somewhere close to twelve hours. Six more hours to go. Or was it ten?

Gou sighed for the third time and wondered not for the first time how they ended up doing this.

 

-

 

_It had been Nagisa’s idea. Nagisa was normally the one who thought up such schemes and he had approached this one with the same exuberance he did everything else with._

_“See, this is where it’s at.” He pointed to a country close to Italy. “Right here.”_

_Gou frowned as she looked over the map pinned to the wall. “I don’t think that’s right. I think it’s over here.” She pointed to a country close to Brazil._

_Rei snorted, a snort that clearly said ‘you’re both wrong.’ He pointed to a country way in the north by Russia. “It’s here.”_

_“D-does it really matter where it is? I mean…” Makoto looked over the pamphlet in his lap. “It says here that’s been a private entity for the last forty years and it has not had international relations with any country in that time. Not even its neighbors.”_

_“Yes, yes, Mako-chan!” Nagisa grabbed the pamphlet out of his lap. “But it also says the country is trying to strengthen its relations and is inviting schools from all over the world to stay there for the summer in a program of friendly competition!”_

_Makoto rubbed his chin. “A whole summer is a long time to be in a different country,” he mused. “A different country that hardly anyone knows anything about.”_

_That was true. They had tried asking Amakata about it but she had only blinked and said she wasn’t a geography teacher. She had never heard of the country. Rei hadn’t known anything either but he said he would memorize the formula for it, whatever that had meant._

_“They’ll provide lodging and pay for the air flight to and from the country,” said Rei, reading over Nagisa’s shoulder. “They are also offering free tours of landmarks and important attractions so the students who do participate can learn more about the country.” He pushed his glasses further onto his face. “It is…not a bad deal.”_

_“They’re also offering a 5,000 dollar award to the swimming team that wins their competition!” said Nagisa._

_Makoto’s eyebrow twitched. Gou could read it in his eyes. A 5,000 dollar award. That would solve all their financial problems. They had been struggling for funds since starting the club and they had not been able to deliver any accomplishments that might raise their funding as of yet. But 5,000 dollars? They would be set for the whole year if not longer._

_“What does Ama-chan say about this?”_

_“Ama-chan said travelers repose and dream among leaves. I think she was quoting someone but I forgot who.” Rei frowned. “I cannot be certain if that was a yes or not.”_

_“She’s probably waiting to hear what we decide,” said Gou. She paused a moment, wondering if she should say it then plowed ahead. “Brother’s school is going too.”_

_“Rin-chan will be there?!”_

_Gou nodded. “He mentioned it my mother and I last week. The captain of his swim team thought it sounded interesting and would make a good presentation on their school.” She didn’t follow that with that her brother was hardly around anyway so him leaving for another country for the summer wouldn’t change anything. That was best kept to herself she felt._

_She sneaked a peek at where Haru sat in the chair of the desk Makoto was sitting on, but the dark haired teen was looking at some spot on the wall. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking at hearing the news that her brother would be there._

_Makoto rubbed the back of his head. “What do you think, Haru?”_

_Haru closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “It sounds like too much effort.”_

_“Oh, look at this!” Nagisa waved the pamphlet in the air. “The country boasts they have the largest swimming pool in the world!”_

_A moment later the pamphlet was snatched out of Nagisa’s hand. Haru stood with the paper stretched out before him, staring at it as if he had found the fountain of youth._

_Makoto laughed a little. “Looks like we’re going.”_

_-_

Amakata had agreed to the trip somehow. Even Goro had when the idea had been pitched to him, saying he needed a vacation. It was nice having two adults with them. Gou liked Amakata quite a bit but the teacher could be a little ditsy at times and it _was_ an awful lot for one person to manage. Having Goro there to help would help lighten the burden on the poor literature teacher.

So here they were, on a plane flying across the ocean to some country that not had relations with any other country until now. Once their school had been accepted into the program, Rei had done some research on where they were going. Apparently it had been a dictatorship up until about ten years when the dictator had finally been toppled and a democracy had taken its place. Since then the country had been working on its human rights, infrastructure, and economy, and was trying to open up relations and communications with foreign nations. The program they were now a part of was one of those efforts.

Other clubs from the school had been invited as well, although most were not as long as the swimming program. Gou’s friend Hana would be arriving a few weeks from now with the debate team for example, and Gou had heard the art team would be joining them as well. Gou had been happy to hear that. It would be nice to have a female friend there with her for at least part of the summer.

Gou rubbed her hands together, nerves pricking up her arms, and hoped this trip would be worth it.

 

-

 

When the plane finally did land, Gou nearly ran over two small children to get off. As it was it took nearly an hour. Haru was slow and sluggish, some after effects of the sedative, and Makoto had to nearly carry him and all their bags off the plane. It was no easier in the terminal. Nagisa kept trying to run off to look at stuff and Haru kept asking where the pool was.

_This is like herding cats._

Thankfully Rei had bothered to learn a little of the local language and was able to find out where they needed to go to pick up the rest of their bags. As they stood there waiting for the carousel to come around, Gou looked about herself. There was a mix of different ethnicities everywhere. Schools from all over the world had come to participate in the program. She couldn’t tell who was foreigner and who was local.

The orientation for the program would begin very shortly. As Gou understood their flight had been one of the last flights over. Most of the other schools had gotten here yesterday or the day before.

A flash of a black jacket caught her eye and she turned to try and find the golden letters of the Samezuka Academy but the person was around the corner before she could know for sure. Had her brother and his school landed already? She had no way of knowing and her phone wasn’t currently working. They would have to get new temporary phones to use.

_Where are you, brother?_

“Gou-chan,” Amakata called and Gou turned her attention back to the present, doing her best to push thoughts of her brother out of her mind for now.

 

-

 

It wasn’t until the end of orientation that she finally saw him.

The orientation was long and boring, Gou found herself dozing off in her chair. Amakata and Goro were doing the same next to her, but Nagisa, Rei, and Makoto were paying rapt attention. Gou tried her best to rouse herself, reminding herself that she was the swim team’s manager. She had to pay attention. To plan things. Yes. Plan things. That’s what she did. Her eyelids drooped as the person at the podium drowned on.

She looked across at Haru, who was awake as the others, but not paying attention to the person speaking in the least. His eyes were on the crowd, scanning the rows of seated students. _He’s looking for Rin._ She smiled a little.

Once the presentation was over, they received their housing assignments, and began to make their way to the front to hail down some cabs. They were almost to the front when Ghou finally spotted him standing near the bathrooms with a shorter gray haired boy that she vaguely remembered as Nitori. “Brother!”

At the sound of her voice he looked up. “Gou?” His mouth fell open a bit. “What are you doing here?”

She stopped in front of him, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. For some reason whenever she saw her brother she always felt like a little girl again, happy and carefree. “We’re here for the program! We decided to join it!”

“The program?” He blinked then his eyes cleared, and he made a tch sound. “The swimming program. I’m guessing that means Haru is here too then.”

Gou stopped rocking. “Uh, y-yes. The whole swim club came.”

Rin’s mouth was set in a firm line and Gou could see him glaring over her head. Gou glanced behind herself. Haru. Rin was glaring at Haru. Nitori asked, “What’s wrong, sempai?”

Rin didn’t get a chance to answer as Nagisa suddenly surged in beside Gou, planting himself right into their conversation. “Rin-chan! I’m so glad you’re here! We’ll be able to swim together again!” He made that weird peace sign he always liked doing. “Let’s have fun all summer!”

Rin grit his teeth. It appeared as if he were about to say something nasty but he didn’t get a chance to, “Hey, Matsuoka! Let’s go!”

Gou recognized that voice. She had heard it several times before. “Captain Mikoshiba…

The Captain of the Samezuka Academy, Mikoshiba. Ghou didn’t know his first name. He was dressed in the Samezuka colors and his expression was bored until he caught sight of her. His eyes, that strange gold color, lit up like lampposts. “Ah, yo! Fancy meeting you here!” He smiled at her. “Are you here for the program as well, Gou-kun?”

Gou’s smiled faded. Her eyelids lowered. “Please don’t use Gou and kun together…”

Rin glanced Haru’s way again and made another tch sound.  He walked away without comment. Nitori followed him and Gou might have done the same had Mikoshiba not started talking to her. “I can’t believe you’re part of the program, Gou-kun! Matsuoka never mentioned it before. That’s great, how exciting! We can swim together then!”

Gou was hardly listening, trying to look at her brother from around the captain. “Ah, yes.”

“Hey, hey, you know later tonight after we get everyone settled in we’ll be going to take a look around the town!” His smile was so wide it nearly split his face in two. “You should come with us, Gou-kun.”

Now _that_ did catch her attention. “What?”

“We’ll be checking out the downtown area,” Mikoshiba continued. “You should come with us to learn more about the area!”

“A-ah, maybe…”

“Ooooh, checking out the area?!” Nagisa’s eyes were bright. “That sounds like a great idea! We should go together!”

“It wouldn’t hurt to check out things,” Makoto agreed, walking forward to join the conversation. He was the captain of their swim team after all. “We will be here for three months. We should get to know the area.”

“Exactly, you should definitely come! All of you are welcome!” Someone called out to Mikoshiba, indicating they were ready, and the Samezuka captain waved in acknowledgement. “Be right there!” Turning back to Gou, Mikoshiba smiled once again. “Meet us at the Jurrian at 8! See you later!” He walked off towards the rest of his swim team with a wave.

“Okay!” said Nagisa, waving back despite the fact Mikoshiba had his back to him and couldn’t see it.

 “Well, it looks like we’ll have some company later on tonight.” He rubbed the side of his face. “I’m-I’m sure it won’t turn out badly.”

Next to him Haru just sighed.

 

-

 

Eight o’clock rolled around faster than Gou would have liked. After going to their housing assignments, two houses with two bedrooms each (due to being a smaller school and a swim team without any accomplishments they were expected to share bedrooms) and unpacking, Nagisa had immediately coerced the others into going downtown. Haru had been resistant at first, only relenting when Makoto said they could check out the pool that was close to the downtown area.  

Amakate and Goro had opted to stay in. Amakata had a lot of luggage to unpack and Goro was exhausted. The two adults advised the teens to behave and not stay out too late, but had not given them any instruction outside of that. Either the two adults trusted them or were too tired to care at the moment.

Ghou tried to protest against going to, but Nagisa pointed out that Samezuka’s Captain had invited her and Makoto pointed out that Rin would likely be there. Her brother. She wanted to see him again. It was silly, how much she worried about him. But she did. _His smile got taken away. Now all he is anger and frustration._ But she kept these thoughts to herself. She didn’t want to disturb Haru. She didn’t know what had happened between the two but she knew Haru felt responsible for it in someway.

The downtown area was busy and packed with people. All of the students participating in the program seemed to have wanted to go out that night despite the jet lag and exhaustion. There were teens everywhere. And lots of swimmers with swimmer bodies. Even fully dressed Gou couldn’t help but ogle some of them. It was really unfair that there was so many of them running around together. It was almost like sensory overload.

“Here, here!” Nagisa waved them over. “Here it is!”

The Jurrian. Makoto stood, looking up at it and studying it. His face began to turn a weird shade of purple. “T-this is a bar, Nagisa.”

“Yes, yes,” said Nagisa as if he had known all along.

Haru pointed out the obvious. “We can’t get in then.”

 “Sure we can.” The grin on Nagisa’s face was positively devilish. “It’s not like back home! The drinking age here is only sixteen!”

There was a moment of stunned silence. “H-how could you possibly know that?” asked Gou.

“Rei-chan told me!”

Rei’s face was red as he pushed his glasses further upwards. “I-I didn’t tell him because of that,” he stuttered.

Suddenly the huge crowds of young people made so much more sense. Most of them had probably found out about the drinking age and had come out to drink themselves silly. _Is that why Amakata-san and Goro let us go out?_ Gou’s eyebrows lowered. _How irresponsible._ Then another thought crossed her mind. _Is that what Samezuka is planning to do? Is that what_ brother _is planning to do?_

“Let’s go!” Nagisa was practically dancing his way up the steps, Rei trailing after scolding him about the dangers of running up stairs. It little oddly Haru followed after them willingly. Perhaps he was curious to taste what liquor was like.

Makoto’s face was still a strange shade of purple. “I-I guess it couldn’t hurt right?” He laughed uncomfortably. “Just a little drink, right?”

Gou asked, “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

Makoto didn’t answer. He just swallowed and began making his way up the stairs like he was walking to his own hanging.

The inside of the bar was crowded. Actually more like packed. There was so many people in there it felt like the temperature had risen ten degrees. Gou didn’t think there had been this many people at the airport for God’s sake. And so many swimmers. The heat was making them sweat and the sweat was making their clothes stick to their bodies like a second skin. _So many muscles So many biceps and pecs._ Had she died and gone to swimmer heaven? She shook her head. _Remember what you’re here for, Gou,_ she thought and began to look for her brother, doing her best to ignore the shapely triceps that were abound in the area.

Nagisa made his way to the bar and somehow managed to squeeze in between two people. He began yelling out names of drinks to the bartender, who had either never heard of them before or Nagisa was simply making them up. “Don’t ask for things that don’t exist!” scolded Rei, then with a noise of bereavement, tried to coax an actual drink from Nagisa that he _did_ like.

Haru was studying the board of drinks overhead like it were a math quiz. “I’ll have a blue ocean.”

Gou made a face. “Are you just ordering that because it has the word ocean in it?”

Haru didn’t answer, not that she expected him to. Haru reminded her a lot of a phone that took voice commands. If you gave it a question or command it recognized it would answer instantly, but if you said something to it it didn’t recognize you would only get silence. Makoto normally understood these silences from Haru but right now he was too busy staring at the board like it was making him seasick.

“Gou-kun!”

Gou raised her head at the calling of her name. Her _real_ name. _Call me Kou, damnit._

In a far corner of the bar Mikoshiba was waving to her. The Samezuka swimmers seemed to have obtained a round couch all to themselves. How long have then been here to obtain that, wondered Gou then decided she’d rather not know. She didn’t see her brother among them either. Hopefully he wasn’t busy being sick in the bathroom.

“I-I guess we could go over there,” said Makoto. He was sweating profusely but Gou didn’t think it was because of the heat.

Gou hummed in agreement. She may not see her brother but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. Him and Nitori might have stepped outside for a moment. Besides, having a couch to sit on rather than standing among all these packed bodies sounded like a much better alternative.

Once Nagisa, Rei, and Haru had gotten their drinks (Gou noting with amusement that Haru’s drink really did look like water), they made their way over to the Samezuka group. Mikoshiba had that smile on again that split his face. “Gou-kun, I’m so glad you could make it!”

“Thanks.” She gave him a little smile then turned her attention to trying and locate her brother. She didn’t even see Nitori anywhere, and he always seemed be attached to her brother’s hip. Where could he have gone? To another bar?

Haru took a sip of his drink. His face immediately squished up like he had eaten something rotten. “You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to,” said Makoto but Haru only turned away.

“I’m fine.” He forced himself to take another sip.

Nagisa, on the other hand, downed his drink in two seconds flat. “Looks go get another one, Rei-chan!” and he dragged the other teen haplessly behind him as he went back to the bar, Rei protesting that he hadn’t even tried his.

Gou looked the table in front of her. It was littered with empty glasses and beer bottles. How much had these boys been drinking before they arrived? How much had her brother drank?

A weight settled next to her and she looked up to find Mikoshiba had taken Rei’s seat while he was away with Nagisa.

“I’m glad you came, Gou-kun.” She noticed faintly that when he was happy his whole face showed it. It wasn’t like the smile on the faces of the boys she was used to seeing. Makoto’s face didn’t light up like this and Nagisa’s happiness was more frantic, as if he were going to burst with rainbows and sunshine or something. Mikoshiba’s face of happiness was ecstatic but not as charged as Nagisa’s. It was a pleasant look. He blinked then and his face smoothed out. “Are you not drinking?”

“Oh, um, I don’t know.”

“You should get a drink!” Mikoshiba gestured to a bar worker walking by. “What do you want?”

“Oh no, that’s fine. I don’t have much money.”

“Don’t worry about that, don’t worry about that, I got you covered. What do you want?”

Gou pursed her lips. She had no idea what she wanted or what drinks were like at all. And if he was willing to treat her then hell, she might as well try something. “Something sweet,” she said after a moment.

She expected Mikoshiba to tease her but he only grinned and said something to the bar worker. Gou twiddled her fingers.

“Captain Mikoshiba.”

He turned to her and she noticed when he was being attentive his whole face showed that as well. You _knew_ when Mikoshibe was giving you his full attention.

“Is my brother here?”

“Matsuoka?” He tilted his head. “No he decided to stay in and get some sleep. Nitori stayed with him.”

“O-oh.” She lowered her eyes. So he hadn’t come out. Was it because he knew the Iwantobi boys would be here with his team? Did he want to avoid them that much?

“Hey, don’t look so glum.” Mikoshiba nudged her in the ribs. “Your brother was only tired. I don’t think he flies well. He complained about motion sickness during the flight. You know your brother, when he sets his mind to something he does it no matter what, and that includes sleeping. Besides, you came out to have fun, didn’t you? Don’t let him spoil that just because he isn’t here. It’s our first night in a new country! Let’s go crazy!”

Gou frowned, not feeling convinced. She looked at the others. Haru was trying to get Makoto to take a sip of his drink. Makoto was tentatively trying to, looking like he was already sick even though he hadn’t had a single thing to drink yet. Across the couch from her Nagisa was laughing uproariously and leaning all over Rei. How much had he had to drink? He was smaller than the other boys so he would get drunk faster. He looked like he was drunk already. Rei was yelling at him and there were wet stains on his jacket from Nagisa spilling his drink on him or causing Rei to spill his own drink on himself.

Gou stifled a laugh. Okay. They had come out to have a good time. Everyone else was, even Haru. She shouldn’t let thoughts of her brother spoil that. Mikoshiba was right.

She took a deep breath and smiled. “Okay.”

Mikoshiba smiled back. When he smiled his whole face showed it.

 

-

 

Gou didn’t remember how many drinks she had. She remembered that what Mikoshiba ordered for her was red and tasted great, and asking for it when he asked her if she wanted anything else. She remembered toasting with Mikoshiba and both of them laughing. She remembered Haru at one point taking off his clothes and trying to get into the punch bowl, and Makoto yelling and grabbing him, and Nagisa laughing and encouraging Haru and Rei leaning over barfing into a corner. He didn’t hold his liquor well apparently.

And Mikoshiba’s smile. She remembered that. His smile which lights up his entire face, and how he transitioned so easily from happiness into captain mode, like when he is saying something to one of his swim members who have asked him something. _I like that_ , she thinks. His face, when it becomes so serious. The deep tone of his voice. But his laugh.

_How does someone have so many different sides of him all in one person?_

A red drink in her hand. Mikoshiba’s arm is extended behind her, not on purpose, just there for him to be comfortable and when she falls back she falls back onto it. Mikoshiba turns to her for a brief second but one of his teammates is talking and Mikoshiba turns back to him, laughing. His arm falls around her shoulders but she doesn’t care. She’s against his side and he’s warm, like sand at the beach. Like a fire. Warm like home. She closes her eyes.

He smells like sun and wind.

 

-

 

When she opened her eyes, they felt gritty and dry, almost like there was a deep pulsing behind them. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, and groaned. Her head felt full of cotton and her throat was so dry. She raised a hand to her forehead to try and quell the pounding.

Good God she felt horrible. She couldn’t recall the last time she had felt this bad. Had she _ever_ felt this bad? _This was a terrible idea. I’m going to kill Nagisa._

Blinking she tried to locate a clock somewhere. What time was it? It had to be early morning. It _felt_ like morning, that coldness in the air before the sun has had a chance to melt it away. Why was she up so early?

Then something more important occurred to her. _Where am I?_

She didn’t recognize the room she was in. It was most definitely not her room back at home and it wasn’t the room Amakata and her had decided to share in their lodging.

A weight moved on her hip and Gou looked down. An arm. An arm was draped across her waist. A bare arm that was long and muscular with olive colored skin. Slowly Gou’s eyes traced their way up the arm to the body that was attached to it.

_Oh my. God._

Mikoshiba. Mikoshiba was lying beside her. On his stomach with his face buried in some pillows, utterly passed out. He was shirtless and only wore a pair of what looked like boxers.

_Oh my God, oh my God._

Why was she in Mikoshiba’s _bed_?!

Very slowly and very carefully Gou lifted his arm from her person. He stirred a little, muffling into the pillow, and turned over. Gou took advantage of the opportunity to slide out from the bed.

Thankfully there was no one else in the room. Mikoshiba’s bed was the only one. He had a room to himself. The perks of being a captain of a strong swim team.

She pattered herself down quickly. She was fully clothed. Good, that was good. She hadn’t done anything that stupid. She didn’t feel any pain either down…down there. Surely she would if _that_ had happened. Mikoshiba was a big guy after all, he was taller than Makoto for God’s sake.

_“You know what they say about tall men, right?” Rin’s voice from the past, teasing her when they were kids._

_Gou covering her ears. “Stop it, I don’t want to hear it!”_

_“Big shoes, haha!” Rin laughs. “What were you thinking about, huh? You pervert!”_

Gou’s face was red hot. Mikoshiba was nearly naked. Had she seen it last night? _Why am I thinking about something like that right now?_

She encountered no one on her way to the door and she found her shoes flopped down as if she had thrown them there. She slipped them on. Very quietly she opened the door, pausing a moment to make sure Mikoshiba had not awoken. She heard nothing and she closed the door, beating a very hasty retreat down the street.

 

-

 

She was lucky. Her lodge was not far and she found it easily enough. By the time she got there, her stomach was queasy and her whole body shaking, her head booming. Running in the condition she was in was not very wise, not that she could help it.

She leaned on the fence post a moment to regain her bearings. God why had she drunk so much? _How_ much had she drunk? She didn’t know but it was obviously too much. _I am never doing that again._

She was also lucky that no one in the lodge was awake yet. She slipped into the room she shared with Amakata on quiet feet. Amakata didn’t stir when she entered and Gou slid open her drawer. Amakata turned over and Gou froze like a deer in headlights. But Amakata was simply doing her usual sleeping routine, tossing and turning like a child. Gou quickly changed into pajamas and slipped into the bed.

Gou breathed a sigh of relief.

She was fine. No one had seen her come home. If she was careful no one would have hopefully noticed she been gone all night. She closed her eyes, intent on getting some sleep, and forgetting all about what she had woken up to.

 

-

 

When the alarm woke up her several hours later she felt a little better. Not much better but a little. Amakate slept through the alarm somehow, and Gou got up and left the room before she had a chance to. She didn’t want Amakata asking her questions. Not yet anyway.

She took a long shower, letting the warm water course over and relax her. She examined her body once again but found nothing unusual. _I didn’t have sex with him_ , and this time she was convinced. Had she done anything with him? Her clothes had not shown any signs of distress and she hadn’t felt…wet in any places. The blushing racing down her neck was fire. Had she kissed him? Now that she didn’t know. There was no way of telling.

She certainly hoped not. She didn’t want to think her first kiss had been given away in a drunken fit which she couldn’t remember.

_And with Mikoshiba…_

Quickly she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She wouldn’t think about it anymore. She would put it out of her mind and not think about it anymore.

She felt better after the shower and after getting dressed she went over to check on the boys.

To say they were worse than her was an understatement. Nagisa was lying on the floor, his arm covering his eyes, moaning like death warmed over. Haru and Rei were at least upright seated on the floor at the table. Haru’s head was cradled in his arms atop it and Rei was pinching the bridge of his nose, looking as if he were going to vomit any second. Makoto was the only one who wasn’t hung over, but he still looked tired and worn thin. Poor guy had probably had to baby sit the three the whole night.

“Well, you guys certainly did a number on yourselves,” Goro observed. The three only moaned in response, Makoto chuckling in that uncomfortable way of his when he doesn’t know how to handle something.  Goro sighed loudly. “Ah, well, I guess it’s to be expected. Kids will be kids. I’ll tell Akamata you three ate some bad shellfish if she asks about it.”

“She’s still asleep,” said Gou.

“Yeah,” said Goro. “She was up late last night unpacking.”

That made sense. Akamata had brought enough bags with her to kill a small elephant. It looked like she had packed for a year trip instead of a three month one.

“Get yourselves ready,” said Goro. “We leave in an hour for a joint practice. It’s mandatory so you have to go.” He received no response. “Anyone want breakfast?”

“Ugh,” said Nagisa and Rei covered his bulging mouth with his hand. Makoto had begun to raise his hand but lowered it with another awkward chuckle. Poor guy didn’t want to make the others sick by watching him eat.

Goro left the room, leaving the teens to their post drinking misery. When he had left, Gou turned her attention on Makoto. “What time did you guys leave the bar last night?”

She stopped herself from asking the question she really wanted to. _Why had they left her there?_ She couldn’t blame them, she wasn’t their responsibility, but a part of her was still mad that they had left her behind. If they hadn’t left her she wouldn’t have woken up in a bed with Mikoshiba…

Mikoshiba, his bed, and how he smelled like sun and wind. Her forehead crinkled. She remembered thinking that when she had been leaning against him. At least she remembered something about last night.

She wondered what the other boys smelled like. Makoto, she imagined, would smell like spring in a field. Nagisa would smell like sunshine. Rei would smell like an office, sharp and clean. And Haru…he probably smelled like mackerel.

_Any why the heck am I thinking about this?_

“I don’t know,” Makoto was saying. He looked a little desperate. "We had to leave because Rei kept vomiting.”

Rei made a strange sound, like a cat being stepped on. Nagisa waved a hand weakly in the air, a ghost of laughter passing his lips. “Rei-chan is terrible at holding his liquor.”

“Shut up,” said Rei from behind his hand. “This is all your fault. You kept giving me drinks and insisting I drink them.”

Nagisa let out a pained laugh. “You still drank them though.”

Rei was silent. Apparently he didn’t have an argument for that.

“I tried to get you to come but you wouldn’t move,” Makoto went on. “You kept saying you were fine and having fun and being crazy for once and that you wanted to stay. Mikoshiba insisted he had you.”

_Oh he had me alright!_

“Then Haru took off running down the street trying to find that pool…” Makoto trailed off, looking at the dark haired teen. “I had to chase him for almost two miles before I caught him.”

Haru shifted on the table. “Shut up.” He dragged the words out like a moan.

“Oh well,” said Gou softly. So they had tried to get her to come with them and she had insisted on staying. It would have been better if Makoto had forced her to come but Makoto wasn’t the type to force people into anything and he was inexperienced with handling drunken teens anyway. Everything considered he had a done a pretty fine job of getting the other three boys back to the lodge without major incident. He had had his hands full dealing with their nonsense.

Goro poked his head in, telling them it was time to go. The five rose with a series of moans and groans and trudged their way out of the lodge.

 

-

 

The practice was indeed a mess. Nearly everyone who was there was hung over. Their times were slow and horrible. Some weren’t even capable of doing a full lap and a few times Gou glanced up to see one of the poor swimmers running towards the bathroom, his hand covering his mouth.

“This is one fine way to make an impression,” Goro grumbled.

Gou made sure not to voice her laughter aloud but in her head she was amused. What did the country expect making the legal drinking age sixteen and then inviting a bunch of highschoolers to visit? That was asking for trouble.

She was relieved when she didn’t see the Samezuka Academy at the practice. If her luck held they wouldn’t have practice today and she wouldn’t have to see them. She didn’t _want_ to see Mikoshiba. Not after last night. Her face turned red just thinking about it. Did he remember anything? Would he even know she had been at his house when he woke up this morning? She hoped not, she hadn’t left any evidence of her time there and if he had been as drunk as she had been he wouldn’t remember either. That would be the best.

Gou looked at her stopwatch. She didn’t know how long this practice was supposed to last and time felt like it was crawling by. She really wanted to go back to the lodge and get some more sleep. After a sleepless night on the plane and…last night she hadn’t gotten much rest. Plus the stupid jet lag.

The door opened behind her, another swim team piling in for practice. Gou blanched. Samezuka academy.

_Oh god._

Her luck had officially ran out.

Her brother walked in, looking as scowly as ever but well rested and alert unlike his comrades, who boasted dark circles under their eyes and sluggish limbs. Gou barely paid him any mind for once, watching instead for someone else, hoping he wouldn’t make an appearance. But he did.

He looked worse for wear, as tired as his comrades and a little queasy. Even his hair looked tired, not standing up as straight as usual. He wore a jacket over his swimsuit. That attire was a little unusual considering the weather. He gave out a few orders, gesturing to his swim team, then he looked up and Gou knew he had saw her.

Quickly she turned away. Her cheeks were already flushing with heat. She prayed Goro did not turn around and notice, and that Mikoshiba would not approach her, that he would pretend she didn’t exist. Goro didn’t. He was yelling something at Nagisa, something about not falling asleep in the water. Goro didn’t but Mikoshiba did. She heard his footsteps and out of the corner of her eye she saw his tall frame approach her.

He stopped beside her. “Yo.”

His voice lacked the usual enthusiasm she heard in it. Tentatively she looked up at him from beneath her hair. “G-good morning.”

Mikoshiba rubbed the back of his neck. His expression was almost pensive. “Do you have a moment?” he asked after a moment. “I need to talk to you.”

Gou’s face grew hotter. She wanted to tell him no. She didn’t want to talk about last night. But if she said no that would only be more suspicious. “O-okay.”

They moved away to the side, away from everyone else. Gou was glad to see Rin doing some laps. She didn’t want him to become curious or suspicious and come charging over.

Mikoshiba glanced around as if to make sure nobody was nearby or watching them. He cleared his throat. “I was hoping you could explain something for me.”

Gou blinked.

He reached inside his jacket. From within he pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. He handed it to Gou. Confused, she unraveled it, not knowing what to expect or think. She stared at the paper for a long minute. And then another long moment.

“Is-is this some sort of joke?”

She looked up but Mikoshiba’s face was a blank mask. He did not respond.

Across the paper it read: **Certificate of Marriage**

This certifies the rites of matrimony. On this day of the 5th of May in the year 2013, Seijuro Mikoshiba and Gou Matsuoka were united in marriage.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Divorce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gou freaks out. That's about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this stupid thing kept popping up multiple times. I'm still new to this website so I was trying to fix a few things (like the summary, which I just made worse) not realizing it was making the fic pop up again and again.

If it was a joke it was a terrible one.

Gou raced out of the building. The marriage certificate was clutched in her hand. Vaguely she remembered asking Mikoshiba if she could take it and Mikoshiba saying she could.

She couldn’t believe it. Was she really so stupid that she had gotten married while drunk? She had heard stories about people doing that and had always laughed about it. The stupid mistakes people made when inebriated. Now she was one of those people. _She had gotten married!_

_It has to be a joke. A really bad one. It has to be fake. It’s a fake._

She unfurled the certificate and studied it again. Well, it certainly looked official. It even had the county’s seal in gold on the top right corner. And their names written in scrawling letters.

Seijuro Mikoshiba.

_I didn’t even know that was his first name._

She rolled the certificate back up, panting. What should she do?  This was a mistake, a terrible, terrible mistake that Gou had no idea how to deal with. She didn’t know anything about marriage. She couldn’t be married!

_An adult. An adult would know what do.  I need an adult._

Goro was still inside with the boys. Which left only one other alternative.

Swallowing down her panic, Gou took off running towards the lodge.

 

-

 

A bit later Gou sat on the floor of the lodge. She had her eyes closed, hands held stiffly in her lap. To her right was Amakata and rolled out on the table in front of them the marriage certificate sat like a student’s bad report card.

“W-well.” Amakata gave a little cough. She was significantly calmer then she had been when Gou had first burst in the door with the…news. She was at least not exclaiming shrilly anymore. The teacher had been surprised to see Gou home then, once Gou showed her the paper she had in her hand, Amakata had descended into a mini freak out. Gou had barely been able to discern much of what Amakata had been saying during that. The few words she had been to make out were ‘what’, ‘marriage’, ‘how’, ‘you’ and ‘why’. Gou hadn’t known if they had been questions or not either. Regardless she wouldn’t have been able to answer them anyway.

Amakata cleared her throat again. “I…I know kids like to do reckless and crazy things sometimes but this seems a little uhhh…extreme.”

Gou raised her eyes to the ceiling. She grit her teeth.

“I hadn’t realize you wanted to get married, Gou-chan.”

Gou’s head thunked onto the table. _Of all the things…_ “I didn’t want to get married!”

“Y-you didn’t? Then why did you?”

“I don’t know why I got married!” Gou raised her head off the table, rubbing her reddened forehead. “I barely even know him. I was drunk. I literally don’t remember _any_ of it, I have no idea why I did it. It was a stupid, horrible, _terrible_ mistake.”

“O-h my. Marriage is never a mistake, Gou-chan. Marriage is a beautiful, wonderful thing. As the famous French playwright Moliere said, ‘Love is often the fruit of marriage’.”

That didn’t make any sense. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around? Wasn’t marriage supposed to be the fruit of love? You were supposed to be in love before you got married, right? Gou never understood Amakata’s quotes.

“I just wish you had waited for a bit longer than a day to decide to go through with it,” said Amakata. Suddenly she buried her face in her hands and shook her head rapidly back and forth. “Oh this is going to look so bad on me as a teacher! The principal will never trust me to take students anywhere anymore!” she wailed. “I was supposed to be in charge of you! They’re going to think I’m so irresponsible! I…I could even get f-fired.”

As if Gou didn’t feel bad enough. Now Amakata’s job may be on the line as well. Should she cry? Gou kind of felt like she wanted to. “I’m sorry, Ama-chan.” She wringer her hands. “I never meant to cause so much trouble. We were just trying to have a good time-“ She grimaced at her word choice. “I never intended for this to happen,” she said instead.

“No, no, I know Gou-chan. You’re a good girl. I know you wouldn’t do something like this on purpppp- while sober. Ahem. Just kids being kids.” Her laugh was stiff. She took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s just…let’s just focus on the task at hand. Worrying about my job is too premature at this point.” Another stiff laugh and another deep breath. She leaned forward to look at the marriage certificate. “Who is Seijuro Mikoshiba anyway?”

“The Samezuka Academy’s swim captain. He’s in charge of my brother-” Gou stopped herself, pupils dilating. _Oh no. Oh no._ How could she not have thought of that? Did her brother know about this? No, no he couldn’t have. If he did Mikoshiba would likely be dead and maybe herself as well. He certainly wouldn’t be acting as calm as he had when she saw him at the pool anyway.

 _Brother_ cannot _know about this. If he were to find out…_

Gou found she really didn’t want to think too much about that. He may act distant towards her and rarely listen to her but she knew for a fact he wouldn’t be very happy about this…debacle. Offering congratulations would be the last thing on his mind.

“Oh is he the tall boy with the spiky red hair?” asked Amakata. “He’s cute.”

Gou made to say something then stopped. Had Amakata just said what she thought she had? “Uhhh…”

Amakata realized it too. “I-I didn’t mean it like that.” She waved her hand, a light dusting of red coloring her cheeks. “I meant for someone of _your_ age he’s cute.”

“I…I suppose.” This was the last conversation Gou wanted to be having. Cute or not, it didn’t make the fact she was married to him any better. She hadn’t even known his first name. “Ama-chan I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix this! I was hoping you might since you’re older.”

“Oh I’m not that much older, Gou-chan,” Amakata laughed then became worried. “Why do I look like I am?”

 _Don’t focus on that,_ Gou wanted to yell at her. Gou buried her face in her hands. If Amakata wasn’t able to help her, what should she do? She could go to Goro but she felt reluctant to. He was an adult male and broaching this subject with him would be less than comfortable. Plus he’d probably freak out worse than Amakata had.

She couldn’t go to her brother, that was a definite no-no. All that left was the Iwatobi boys. _I guess that wouldn’t be so bad. Rei is smart, I’m sure he’d be able to think of something and Makoto would certainly try._

“Gou-chan,” said Amakata suddenly. She was frowning down at the certificate.  “You don’t happen to know what the age of consent in this country is, do you?”

Come to think of it Gou didn’t. “No. I know the drinking age is sixteen.” She rolled her eyes in irritation at herself. “Why?”

“Well.” Amakata picked up the certificate. “If the age of legal consent in this country is higher than sixteen, you can’t be legally married without a parent’s consent.”

Gou’s eyes widened. Amakata was right. How had Gou not thought about that before? “In which case if I don’t have a parent’s consent…”

“Then this contract is null and void.”

Gou’s shriek would have frightened cats had there been any in the vicinity. “Ama-chan, you’re the best!” She wrapped her arms around the teacher’s neck, practically bouncing against the older woman. “I knew I could count on you!”

“W-well.” Amakata patted her arm. “These are just the things I can do when I set my mind to it I suppose.” She leaned back to look at Gou seriously. “Now, Gou-chan, this only applies if the legal age for marriage is older than sixteen. We still need to find that out, don’t forget.”

Gou nodded. “Right, right. I’m sure it is though. There’s no way they could let people that young get married!” She laughed. “But who would know something like that? I don’t want to ask a local, they probably think we’re strange already…” The answer came to her a second later and she smiled. “I know just the person.”

“Who, Gou-chan?”

Gou winked at her. “The smartest person I know.”

 

-

Rei peered at the marriage certificate like it were a treasure map or a ‘Where’s Waldo’ picture. He held it up to the light then lowered it back down to face level, the sunlight reflecting off his glasses. His gaze and face was so intense that Gou found herself leaning forward in her seat, balancing on the edge with breath held.

Amakata had managed to pry Rei away from the other boys and bring him to their lodge. How she had managed to persuade Nagisa not to come Gou could only assume was because the blond still felt pretty terrible. He had drunk more than anyone. He probably didn’t have the energy to argue with anyone.

All things considered, Rei had taken the news of the marriage in stride. He had simply stood there and once Gou had handed him the certificate he had sat down in a chair without a word to inspect it. Nearly ten minutes had now passed since Rei had first started looking at it.

Gou was getting impatient but she forced herself to wait. Rei would know what to do. Gou was sure of it. He was the smartest person she knew and the only one who had bothered to learn anything about their host country. If anyone might have an inkling about their laws, it was him.

Rei finally lowered the certificate. He coughed lightly into his hand. “I am quite impressed.” He adjusted his glasses. “You weren’t even in this country for twenty-four hours and you managed to do something like this.”

Gou’s mouth fell open. She slammed her hands down on the arms of her chair. “T-that wasn’t what I was doing! I didn’t mean to get married!”

 “How does one _accidentally_ get married?”

“I was drunk! I didn’t want to get married!”

“If you didn’t want to get married then why did you?”

“I don’t know! I was drunk, like I said!” She clutched her aching head. “I don’t know why I got married!”

“N-now, Gou-chan.” Amakata tried to pat her back soothingly. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”

Gou moaned into her own lap.

“Rei,” asked Amakata, turning her attention to him, “do you happen to know the age of legal consent in this country?”

Rei’s mouth was in a line and Gou could already tell he had guessed what Amakata and she were hoping for. _Here comes the disappointment…_

“The legal consent for marriage is the same age as the age for drinking.”

And there it was. “Ugh.” Gou buried her face into her lap once more. This was awful. So awful. How had she gotten herself into this situation? _Alcohol. It was the alcohol. I am_ never, ever _touching that stuff again._ What was she supposed to do now?

“Wa-wait.” Gou raised her head, a flicker of hope alighting in her heart. “What about a divorce?” Her eyes widened. “Or an annulment? We can do that right? I mean it hasn’t even been twenty four hours. There shouldn’t be any reason why we can’t get it annulled.”

“Oh Gou-chan that’s a great idea!” cried Amakata. “We’ll just get it annulled. What a great idea! That’s the perfect solution!”

Rei’s mouth was still in that line. He made a weird sound in his throat and adjusted his collar, as if it were choking him. “The…the human rights in this country are still being developed, remember,” he said. “It isn’t until recently that they’ve really improved, however some aspects have…lagged behind.”

 Gou stared at him with baited breath. “What are you trying to say, Rei? What does that mean?”

“What I am trying to say that divorce and annulment are currently…illegal in this county.”

Gou’s heart sank.

“And since you got married in this country,” Rei continued, the words like nails in a coffin, “you’ll have to abide by their laws while on their soil.”

Gou really did cry after that.

 

-

 

“Now, now, Gou-chan.” Amakata wiped the cool towel against Gou’s cheeks, clearing away her tears. “There’s no reason to cry. It isn’t the end of the world.”

“No, it’s just the end of my world!” Gou wailed. She threw her head back. “My life is ruined!”

“I thought it was normally the husband who says that after getting married,” muttered Rei and Amakata threw him a dark look that said he wasn’t helping.

“Marriage isn’t so bad, Gou-chan,” Amakata tried to soothe her. “Lots of people are married to people they don’t particularly care to be wed to.”

Gou wailed even louder and it was Rei’s turn to shoot Amakata a dark look. Sighing, Rei patted Gou’s shoulder. “Calm down, Gou. I didn’t say you could _never_ get divorced. That would be lunacy!” He laughed but nobody laughed with him. “You just can’t get divorced while we’re in this country is all.”

Gou sniffed into the handkerchief Amakata had given her. “So?”

Rei sighed again, as if he were trying to explain physics to a child. “We’re only going to be in this country for the next three months,” he reminded her. “But after that we’ll be returning to Japan, where divorce is legal. Once we return you can get a divorce then.”

Gou stilled. He was right. Rei was right. “That’s right.” She lifted her face, eyes bright. “That’s right. Rei, that’s right! That means…That means I-- I just have to get through these next three months! I just have to get through these next three months and then I can get a divorce once we get back home! I just have to get through these next three months!” She grabbed Rei’s arm. “Rei, you’re a genius!”

“W-well, I don’t…about that.” He pushed his glasses further onto his nose, trying his best to hide the grin that was spreading under his hand. “I suppose I am though.”

“The next three months.” Gou started pacing the room. “That shouldn’t be that hard. We’ll just pretend like nothing happened! Three months isn’t that long. I can do this! Once we get back home we’ll just have to do the divorce quietly so no one back home finds out about it. My mom would _kill_ me!”

“Three months,” said Rei. “Three months is still a long time to keep something like this a secret. What do you plan to tell the others?”

She paused, considering that. “I…I guess I’ll have to tell them.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Gou-chan?” asked Amakata but underneath her words Gou could hear what she was really trying to say. _They’re_ boys. _Are you sure you want to tell them?_

Gou nodded. She knew if she didn’t all that would happen is she would make up a lie and then forget it later and end up contradicting herself, and those three were sharp enough they would catch it rather quickly. They would know something was up. In this case she felt honesty would be the best policy and save her some trouble.

She trusted them to keep her secret besides. Makoto definitely would. Nagisa was loud and energetic but he was the type who would die before ever hurting a friend of his. Haru would likely not even care and not say anything. Either way they would understand the situation and honor her wishes.

“And Coach Sasabe,” Gou began but Amakata cut her off.

“I think it would be best if you left him to me.” She smiled awkwardly. “He’ll be tempted to yell less if he hears it from me.”

“O-oh, okay. That sounds good, I guess. Then that just leaves…Mikoshiba.” Gou grimaced. The thought of seeing him again made her feel extremely embarrassed and nervous.  Even just picturing his face in her mind made her antsy, but she would have to see him again. She would have to tell him what was going on, there was no avoiding that. He was the other half of this messed up equation after all. “I-I’ll talk to him later. He’ll want to know what’s going on.”

She would have to meet him elsewhere. She couldn’t go to his place and she couldn’t bring him here either. That would be too personal. She would meet him somewhere that was a little more public, but somewhere Rin wouldn’t be. If Rin stumbled upon them…Well, it wasn’t worth thinking about.

As if reading her thoughts, Rei asked, “What about your brother? Aren’t you going to tell him?”

Quickly Gou shook her head. “Ohhh no. He _can’t_ know. _Can’t._ He must _never_ find out. _Ever. Ev-er._ You know how my brother is. If he finds out he’ll lose it.”

Rei’s mouth twisted. “He’s your family, Gou-chan. You should tell him.”

Gou shook her head again. “No. Brother must never find out. We must never tell him. He can’t know. You can’t tell him.” She seized Rei’s sleeve in her hand. “Promise me you won’t tell him, Rei. Promise me. Please! You have to promise.”

Rei leaned as far away from her as he could, his face in a grimace. “I find that’s awfully unfair to your brother, in my opinion,” he stated, “but I’ll do as you ask.” He delicately plucked his sleeve out of Gou’s hands and smoothed down the abused fabric. “If we are finished here I would like to get some food. I haven’t eaten anything since last night’s escapade. If my calculations are correct the alcohol will have dissipated from my system enough that I shall be able to eat without regurgitating it back up.”

Gou twitched nervously. “You didn’t say I promise about not telling my brother.”

He sighed. “I promise I won’t tell your brother.” He turned and made his way towards the door. “But you should.”

 

-

 

_This has to be the worst house meeting in the history of mankind._

Gou stood with her back to the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed, and eyebrow twitching just a little bit. Next to her stood Amakata, and in front of her seated on the floor were the other members of the Iwatobi Swim Club. The three boys were noticeably confused by this strange meeting that had been called, muttering questionably to each other. Nagisa was looking around a lot too.

 _Probably for Rei._ The blue haired teen was currently running a…errand for Gou. Rei had been none too happy about it but Amakata had coerced the poor boy to do it while they explained the situation to the others. At least Amakata had promised to pay for his food when he returned.

“S-so,” Amakata began. She cleared her throat lightly, worrying her hands in front of her chest. “We have had a…delicate situation arise suddenly.” She laughed as if trying to make light of the situation. The boys simply blinked at her and Gou ground her teeth painfully. “A-anyway. Ummm you see…” She fell silent then tried again. “Sometimes when people are young they decide to do things that aren’t necessarily smart or…or wise. As Thomas Edison said, maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth! Ha-ha! Ummm.”

Gou turned her head to glare down the hallway. The boys looked even more confused.

“Sometimes these unwise decisions involve…legal matters that…aren’t…easy to get out of. Especially when alcohol is involved some people…make rash decisions.”

Gou was scowling and the boys turned to look at each other, dumbfounded. “Did someone get arrested?” Haru asked finally.

“I tried to stop Haru from taking his clothes off,” muttered Makoto. “I knew one day he was going to get arrested for indecent exposure.”

“Umm…”

Gou sighed. She was going to have to take care of this. Amakata seemed to be at a loss as to how to explain it. “No, no one got arrested or is _going_ to get arrested.” She rubbed her aching forehead. She could feel a headache forming behind her eyes and she suddenly remembered she was still hung over. _Best to just get it over with quickly, like ripping a band-aid off. Then I can go sleep off this hang over._ “Um. D-do you guys remember last night? At all? Anything?”

Haru and Nagisa looked like they didn’t – no surprise there - but Makoto was nodding. One was better than nothing Gou supposed.

“Okay well, I…I had a little too much to drink last night, you see. And ummm when I was drunk I…I sort of…” She took a deep breath. _Just get it over with._ “I sort of...got married. To Mikoshiba.”

There was a long moment of silence.

“Congratulations!” cried Nagisa. Behind him Makoto was looking like he had just gotten punched in the sternum.

Gou’s mouth dropped. “N-not congratulations!”

“Gou-chan used sexual appeal to get him to marry her!”

“I didn’t use sexual appeal!”

“Mikoshiba,” said Haru slowly. “He’s the captain of Rin’s swim team isn’t he?”

It was not lost on Gou that he said _Rin’s swim team_ and not _Samezuka’s swim team_. “Yes, yes, that’s him. He’s the tall boy with red hair.”

“Ohhh I like him!” cried Nagisa. “The really energetic guy! When’s the wedding going to be?!”

“There isn’t going to be a wedding!”

“Why would they need a wedding?” asked Haru. “They’re already married.”

“Wh-what. That isn’t-”

“Oh yeah, Haru-chan is right.” Nagisa paused, considering, then he brightened. “When’s the honeymoon then?!”

Gou’s face felt like it was going to burst into flame. They were _completely_ missing the point!

“Now, now,” said Amakata, interceding at last. “There won’t be any more talk of weddings or…or honeymoons.” She cleared her throat once more and stuck her hands together as if clapping, becoming all business. “Gou-chan and I have discussed the matter at length. Unfortunately due to the country’s laws we are unable to obtain a divorce at this time. But! Once we get back to Japan we will get this situation rectified as soon as possible. Until then.” She fixed the three boys with her most dangerous stare, like the one they had received when talking about placing her in a swimsuit, and leaned towards them. Makoto and Nagisa shrank back. Haru just sat there. “Until then we are going to keep this as quiet as possible,” she continued. “We are _not_ going to discuss it or let others know about it. We are going to keep this to ourselves and pretend like it never happened. Is that understood?”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Nagisa muttered.

“Good!” She smiled and leaned back. “I’m glad we are all on the same page then.”

“I still would have liked to have a wedding,” Nagisa continued under his breath.

Gou rolled her eyes. Nagisa _would_ think about something like that instead of the seriousness of the situation. She envied him a bit, being so carefree and able to giggle his way out of predicaments. If only she could giggle her way out of this one.

She looked up and noticed the look on Makoto’s face had not changed. He still looked like he had been punched in the gut, like he was distraught. He hadn’t said a word the entire time either. She made a mental note to speak to him later.

“Well, now,” said Amakata. “I have some more unpacking to do” - _Still?!_ Thought Gou – “and you four should go get some food. I think Goro left some hot dogs in the fridge for you that you can grill up…”

 

-

 

It was Haru who cooked the hot dogs surprisingly. And some mackerel to go along with it. Of course. He claimed they went well together but Gou figured he was just trying to have his way with the mackerel. Where he had gotten the fish she didn’t know. She wouldn’t have been surprised to find out he had gone diving into the ocean and fished for it like a dolphin. It was a good thing mackerel existed in this country. Haru would have had a mental breakdown if they didn’t.

It was because of his love for mackerel that he was so good at grilling, Gou figured out. She couldn’t help but watch him as he cooked. Haru was a handsome guy, there was no doubt about that, and she found it incredibly intriguing watching him perform something else besides swimming that he was adept at. It was the same as watching him paint, another one of his talents that Gou would never have guessed someone like him would excel at. And he did it all with such a blasé attitude, as if none of that stuff meant anything or mattered.

_The only thing that matters to him is swimming. Just like my brother._

They were more alike than either of them wanted to admit it seemed.

Rei finally showed back up when it was nearing dark, aggravated and starving. Gou intercepted him before the others could, asking him about the errand she had sent him on. The news he delivered made her face heat up again. Tomorrow. She would have to deal with it tomorrow.

 _Better sooner than later I guess._ Still she didn’t look forward to what an awkward conversation that was going to be.

After they had eaten and when the last rays of the sun were kissing the ocean water, Makoto finally approached her on his own. He looked downright trodden, like a kid that had studied all year for a test and then failed it miserably. When he sat down beside her, Gou blinked at him.

He stared at his hands lying palm open in his lap. “This is my fault.”

Oh jeez, he was blaming himself for it. No wonder he had looked like that the entire time. Then again Gou should have known he would. That was just the type of person Makoto was. He would feel responsible for it and blame himself no matter what.

“It’s not your fault, it’s mine,” she said. “I mean I’m ultimately responsible for myself. I was the one who made the stupid decision. I don’t remember it but I did…”

Makoto shook his head. “I should never have left you there. I was the only sober one, I should have paid better attention. I should have made you leave with us.” He turned to her. His green eyes were incredibly serious. “I’m sorry, Gou-chan.”

Gou looked away, feeling even guiltier than she had before. Not only could Amakata possibly lose her job but now Makoto, poor sweet Makoto, was beating himself up over her stupid actions. _God I’m such an idiot._

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” she said. “If anything _I_ should be the one apologizing. I’m the one who got everyone into this mess. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

Makoto smiled a little, but it was a wan smile, and in his eyes he still had that kicked puppy look.

Gou sighed mentally. “Look, its fine,” she reassured him. “We just need to get through these next three months and then we’ll be back in Japan where we can get a divorce. Problem solved.”

 _We?_ She had been using that phrase the entire time instead of _I,_ including Mikoshiba into her divorce plans without even thinking about it. Then again she couldn’t imagine what reason Mikoshiba would have not to go along with it. No, surely he would agree with her.

“Okay.” Makoto took a deep breath, losing some of that saddened look. “I understand. And,” he turned to look at seriously again, green eyes bright with determination, “I promise I won’t let anything else bad happen to you. I swear it.”

“Oh stop it. This isn’t that bad-” She stopped herself. “Okay it’s bad but it’s not your fault. You don’t have to promise me anything.”

He still did though.

 

-

 

Gou sat in the café, nervously sipping from her straw and whopping her foot against the table leg. Every few seconds she would turn to look outside the large windows in the front, searching. She had been waiting for fifteen minutes. Where the hell was he?

_Rei said he would meet me here…_

The errand Rei had run for her yesterday. She had him go over to Mikoshiba’s place to arrange a meeting. If Rin had seen her at Mikoshiba’s place he would flip, but Rei going over there wouldn’t be that unusual. Rin would probably assume they were discussing swimming or something.

Gou turned back around. She fiddled with the marriage certificate she had tucked into her jacket. Her stomach was so upset with her edginess she had hardly eaten anything that morning. She could feel it growling. At least she wasn’t hung over anymore. She really just wanted this to be over with already.

She saw his tall form a mere second before he was next to her. “Yo.” He paused. “Are you in disguise?”

She was but apparently it hadn’t worked that well if he had recognized her right away. She tore the sunglasses off her face with a touch of annoyance. The baseball cap followed shortly after and she shook out her disheveled hair. So much for that.

“Sorry I’m late.” He sat down on the opposite side of the table from her, slouching down with his hands in his pants pockets. “Ueda pulled a muscle in his leg that had to be taken care of.”

Taking care of his teammates. She couldn’t be angry for him being late because of that. Since he was the swim team captain he was in charge and responsible for them. They would always come first.

Speaking of legs, his long legs took up pretty much the entire space under the table. They were only a mere inch away from Gou’s own and she regretted suddenly wearing a skirt. She could feel the warmth of him even through the fabric of his jeans.

“Rei said you wanted to talk to me.”

He was using Rei’s first name. That was a bit surprising. Did he feel that close to the Iwatobi swimming boys? “Uhhh, yes.” Gou glanced around herself then stuck her hand into her jacket. She took out the marriage certificate. When she laid it on the table, she didn’t miss the expression in his golden eyes. He looked like he didn’t really know what to do with it, as if it were some kind of foreign animal.

Gou rubbed her lips together. “I don’t suppose you know much about the laws in this country, do you?”

He looked at her blankly.

She hadn’t expected he would. “Soooo.” She clasped her hands under her chin. “In this country, as I’ve come to find out, divorce is illegal. So is the annulment of marriages.”

The flash in his eyes was unmistakable. Dismay and anxiety. But he held it together and Gou quickly moved to finish, “But I’ve talked with some people and we’ve figured out we can get a divorce when we get back home to Japan where it _is_ legal. Once we get back home we can get a divorce.” She leaned back. “However, as I’m sure you know, that isn’t for another...three months.”

He did not respond for a long moment, appearing to be mulling it over. “You’re trying to say that while we’re in this country we have to stay married no matter what?”

“Yes,” she said. “Well, unless you want to go to jail. I personally don’t. I’d hope you agree.”

He was silent again. “What do you propose we do for the next three months then?”

 “We’ll act like nothing happened,” Gou said it right away. “We’ll act like this never happened and that we didn’t do…didn’t do this. We’ll keep it as quiet as possible so no one will know about it when we get back home. We’ll just pretend it never happened and act as normal.”

He didn’t respond. He picked up the marriage certificate and held it in front of his face. For a minute Gou could only see the paper between them. Finally he lowered it, tossing it lightly to the table top. “Alright,” he said. “If that’s what we have to do then that’s what we’ll do.” He ran his hands through his hair on the back of his head.

His easy acceptance of the situation annoyed her for some reason. Why wasn’t he freaking out like she had been? Then again it had been a day since it had happened. He had likely had some time to think about it and calm down.

“It’s definitely not the most ideal situation,” he was saying, “and I hate to leave it as it, but it doesn’t sound like we have much choice. We’ll just have to deal with it and get through the three months the best we can.”

Gou sank in her chair. “Yeah.” They had no other choice but to deal with it. There was no escaping or fixing their predicament at least not for now. Gou could feel her frustration building up, anger at the situation and herself for the stupid thing she had done. But since she couldn’t take it out on herself, she lashed out at the other half that had caused the problem. “Let’s have fun, right? Let’s go crazy, right?” she said bitingly, throwing his words back at him. Mikoshiba looked up in surprise. “I wouldn’t have gone along with it if I knew it was going to be something like this!”

 “What are you- I never intended to-” He stopped himself, forcing himself to lower his voice as a waitress walked by. “I never meant for us to go get married! All I wanted to do was show you a good time-“ Gou turned red at his wording, “because you were upset about your brother! I just wanted you to have some fun instead of sitting there moping all night. That’s all! I never planned on this happening.”

“I’ve never had a drink in my life until I hung out with you! You were the one who invited us to that bar!” She glared at him. “This is all your fault.”

 Mikoshiba leaned back, rolling his eyes away and exhaling sharply, his hand gesturing slightly to the marriage certificate as if to say, ‘my signature isn’t the only one on that document’.

Well, he did have a point there. Gou sobered, feeling her anger dissipating after letting some of it out. “You didn’t…tell my brother did you?”

He gave her a lofty look that she was unable to discern. “No. I haven’t told anyone.”

He hadn’t needed an adult to confide in like Gou had. Then again had Samezuka even brought any teachers with them? She didn’t believe they had, it seemed like Mikoshiba typically handled everything on his own without an adults help. He was the type of person who could handle anything thrown at him on his own without anyone else’s help. Gou envied him a bit for that.

“Good,” said Gou. “We can’t tell him. _Seriously_. He can’t know. If he finds out he’ll kill you.”

Mikoshiba grinned a little. “I already figured as much.” Of course he had. With the way things were now _he_ probably knew her own brother better than she did. He spent a lot more time around him than she did currently. “I don’t intend to tell him,” said Mikoshiba.

Gou was relieved. Having Mikoshiba on the same page as her when it came to her brother made her life so much easier and less stressed. If Mikoshiba had insisted on telling Rin she didn’t know what she would do. Running away to Mexico would have likely been the best plan in that case.

 “Hey, um, by the way.” Gou twisted her fingers together. She swallowed. “Do you…do you remember anything? I mean from that night.”

He shook his head. “I remember being at the bar but I don’t remember anything after that. I don’t even remember leaving.”

Gou was turning red again. She forced the words out. “We didn’t…I don’t think…We didn’t….”

Mikoshiba eyebrows creased in confusion at what she was getting at.

Gou’s face was flaming. “We didn’t…y’know.”

He understood then. He looked away again and Gou was surprised to see a faint dusting of red across his cheeks. “I-I don’t think so.”

Was it possible that Mikoshiba was a virgin? She had never thought about it before but his flush now made her think it. Honestly she sort of expected for him not to be. He was a good looking guy after all and older than she was.

What had he thought when he woke up that morning, she wondered. He had been in nothing but his underwear after all, while she had at least been fully clothed when she awoke. He must have realized she had been there. Had she…touched him? _Oh god._ Had she seen… _it_ that night and just not remembered it? It wouldn’t have been hard to considering his state of clothing, or lack thereof. _I have to stop thinking about this._

“Did we ummm…Did we kiss?”

Mikoshiba’s face was definitely red. He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. We must have had to when we got married.”

 _When we got married._ This situation was so damn bizarre.“O-oh.” Gou lowered her eyes. Had they kissed at all outside of that? If they kissed when they got married it might have just been a quick peck. That didn’t count as a real kiss. Did it?

 _My first kiss and I don’t even remember it._ She wanted to wail. _This whole situation is horrible._

There was a strange sound and Gou looked up to see Mikoshiba pulling out his phone. _His phone?_ So he had gotten one in this country already. Gou still needed to do that. With everything that had been happening she had totally forgotten she needed a new phone.

Mikoshiba frowned down at the screen. “I have to go. Our hosts need to figure out our schedule for our stay here.”

“O-oh.” Why did she feel disappointed suddenly? “Okay…”

He motioned to the marriage certificate still sitting on the table. “Are you going to hold onto that?”

“A-ah yeah.” It was for the best that she did, she figured. If Mikoshiba had it there was no telling if Rin might stumble on it. It was safer with her, where she could keep it among people who already knew about it.

Mikoshiba stood, tucking the phone back into his pocket. He wasn’t looking at her again. Maybe he didn’t know how to handle the situation, which had now turned awkward. Neither did Gou.

He coughed. “I’ll see you later, I suppose.” He gave her a slight wave and then headed out of the café. He didn’t look back, his focus already on other things. Gou watched him leave, and wondered why she felt cheated.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to everyone who has commented, bookmarked, or left kudos! Seriously you guys are too great considering this thing has like no plot.
> 
> I will be doing the traditional pairings in this fic as well but they will be kept to the background.
> 
> Now sleep time, this fic keeps me up way too late!


	3. History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gou tries to get Mikoshiba's number. That's about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh my god. The end notes are stacking up like freaking Tetris and I have no idea why. So I'm just not going to use them until I figure out why they're doing that (this is what happens when you get old).
> 
> I was very unhappy with how chapter 2 came out considering I wrote it in the middle of the week where I don't have a lot of free time and don't get much sleep. It just felt very rushed and sloppy. So I went through it again today and made some changes that should hopefully improve it. Nothing big enough that would require a reread but I feel a lot happier with it now and I hope you guys will too. The ONLY thing that I added that is important is that Gou and Mikoshiba talk about not telling Rin about their situation (because I am dumb and forgot this important part when first writing the chapter - I need more sleep). Hopefully this won't happen again as I finally feel like I have a better grasp of where I want to take this story and some semblance of plot finally.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left a commented, bookmarked, or left kudos!

When Gou returned to their lodging Goro had quite a few things to say to her. He was the only one who hadn’t yet voiced his opinion so he did so when she returned from her meeting with Mikoshiba. Most of the things he said she had heard from various people already, only he said it much more loudly and vehemently. She bore it all in silence. She knew she deserved it. Her reckless decision had put quite a few people in a sticky situation and could have harming effects on not just herself but others too.

There was one thing however that Goro said that did strike a cord with her. That if she were his daughter he would have grounded her for the rest of her life and never allow her out of the house, much less near any boys.

 _If you were my daughter._ Gou couldn’t help but think upon it later when she was tucking the marriage certificate safely into a drawer. What would her own father think about her situation, she wondered. Would he be angry? Most likely. Or maybe he would have been happy for her, as some dads can weirdly do when their daughters do reckless things. Maybe he would have looked upon the marriage as a blessing instead of a mistake. He had given up his dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer to marry her mother and have children after all. Maybe her father would be the type of man to see her marriage as a positive.

It was strange thinking of him in that way. Gou hadn’t thought about her father in such a long time. It wasn’t due to lack of caring. She had been very young when he died and she could barely remember anything about him. The only thing she could really recall was his hands. She remembered they had been big and rough from hard work and sea salt and wind, but they had been gentle when they touched her hair or picked her up. That is all she can remember after so long. She can’t even recall his face anymore.

Unlike her brother. Rin had been older than she when their father passed away. He remembered their father much more clearly, remembered more than just his hands. He remembered his father’s dreams and his ambitions, his dreams and his sacrifices much more clearly, felt them so much more. Yet, like Gou, he couldn’t remember their father’s face either. But that fact only seemed to haunt him all the more than if he actually _could_ remember.

When Gou tried to picture her father’s face now all she saw was-

Well, that part wasn’t important.

Gou closed the drawer and left the room, trying her best to put those sorts of thought out of her mind.

 

-

 

She stood in front of the glass counter, peering down at the objects that lay sedately within on a red cloth as if they were some sort of precious jewels. They were anything but. Cell phones. Big clunky ones, those old style flip cell phones with the thick bottom and the tiny display window on the front. Gou’s first phone when she was twelve had been one of these. She hadn’t missed it.

 _Well it is only for the next three months._ Regardless of how ugly or bulky they were the phones would serve the purpose they needed them to during their stay here.

There weren’t many to choose from either. The store had a limited set of colors and Goro loudly insisted they weren’t going to go around looking or spend any more money than they had to when Nagisa complained about it.

Gou wanted to get the pink one but somehow Nagisa managed to snag that one before her. Purple then? Nope, Rei had grabbed that color. Seriously, did they _have_ to pick the girliest colors that were available? Gou tried not to let her irritation show. She was the girl, she should be able to have the girliest color!

Haru had picked blue, of course, Gou knew better than to ever consider getting that color for herself. Makoto had chosen green. Amakata had gotten a soft pleasant yellow color and Goro orange. Which left the only other color available. Grey.

Gou sighed heavily. Oh well, it was just for the next three months. She could bear with an ugly phone for that long.

After receiving the ugly clunky phone, Gou stepped outside with the others to program their new phones and exchange numbers. It was a bit of a confusing situation. Nagisa had already forgotten his new number and Amakata had never gotten it in the first place. They had to spend some time calling each other to figure everything out. After twenty minutes of frustration and once everyone had each other’s number, Amakata and Goro departed to head back to the lodge, Amakata with a good natured wave and Goro snarling at them to stay out of trouble. “If one of you _boys_ suddenly decides to get married, I’ll drown y-” he stopped, a better idea seeming to hit him, and he finished with, “I’ll _never_ let you in the pool ever, ever again.”

A much more terrible threat for sure. Haru looked like someone had just told him the world was coming to an end.

“Speaking of marriages,” Nagisa said once Amakata and Goro had departed, “you’re going to have to get Captain Mikoshiba’s number, aren’t you?”

Gou’s face heated. “Why would I need that?”

“It actually wouldn’t be a bad idea to have it,” Makoto mused and instantly held up his hands when Gou turned her hot glare on him. “I mean just considering the situation. You two do have some…unusual circumstances. You might need to contact each other quickly.”

He did have a point there. Gou couldn’t send Rei over to Mikoshiba’s every time she needed to talk to she, much as she would prefer to. As of right now she couldn’t foresee any reason why she would need to talk to Mikoshiba. They had made their plans and had nothing else to discuss. Still it wouldn’t hurt to have his number in case an emergency came up.

“Alright, alright. I’ll get his number when I see him.”

As they turned to walk towards the rest of the city, Nagisa began wondering aloud what color other people’s phones would be. “I bet Rin-chan’s phone is black,” he said.

 _Or white_. For some reason Gou couldn’t help but imagine him having a white phone instead of a black one. Black didn’t really seem to suit him.

“Nitori’s would be grey to match his hair.”

_Rude._

“I wonder what color Mikoshiba’s phone is,” pondered Nagisa.

Gou didn’t need to imagine that one. _Red,_ she thought. _It’s red. The same color as his hair._

-

 

They didn’t have anything else on their schedule for that day. Due to the high volume of swimmers in the program each school had a set schedule for when they could use the pool for practice. At the moment it was only once a week but the host country was looking to increase that to two or three times a week once everything got smoothed out, and were even seeing about obtaining students access to other private pools. Like most programs, more students had enrolled than the host country had initially been suspecting and they were now having difficulty accommodating them.

“There will be two rounds of competition.” Gou read off the schedule they had been given. As manager she felt responsible for this sort of thing so had put herself in charge of it. “The first competition won’t be for two months. The host country wants to give the students time to adjust to the time difference so no team has an advantage over the other and also to give the students time to learn about the culture.”

“Two months,” said Makoto thoughtfully. “That will give us some time to improve.”

Rei fisted his hands as if he were about to get into a boxing match. “I will definitely improve my times! I’ve been studying the theory on it!”

Makoto smiled. “It’s not just you, Rei. All of us need to improve.”

“Yeah, Rei-chan!” Nagisa chimed in. “Let’s all improve together!”

Gou couldn’t help but smile a little herself. It was nice seeing them all so enthusiastic. Even if Haru didn’t say anything she knew he would try as hard if not harder than the others. Her brother was in the competition with him after all.

“The top eight teams of each event will progress to the second and final round,” Gou continued reading. “The final event will take place after the initial one.”

“Only two rounds?” asked Nagisa.

Gou nodded. “Due to having other clubs like the art and debate clubs competing respectively the host country couldn’t afford to hold more rounds than that.” She shook out the paper. “It’s going to be very competitive.”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” said Makoto, always the optimistic one. “We just need to improve as much as we can and try our best.”

“That last event,” said Haru. “The final one. That’s right before we leave, isn’t it?”

“It is,” said Gou. “We leave shortly afterwards.”

“But the winner of each event will win $5,000, right?” asked Nagisa eagerly.

“That’s correct.”

“Alright!” Nagisa threw his hand in the air. “Let’s win that money! In all events!”

Makoto chuckled. “It isn’t just about the money, Nagisa.”

“No, but it won’t hurt to have! Otherwise we’ll be lifting weights and running track all winter! Who wants that?”

“No one,” Haru deadpanned.

“R-running track isn’t so bad,” muttered Rei but quietly.

 “We’ll have our time with the pool,” said Gou, returning to the program. “There’s lots of other stuff on here too. Lots of events we have to participate in so we learn about the host country.”

The museum of history, a wine vineyard, a trip to one of the country’s most prestigious spas and hot springs pools – “Ama-chan will like that one,” Gou said with a snicker – a tour of one of the country’s industrial facilities, a marine park, and a few others. Some sounded interesting, others not so much. The museum of history would be tomorrow.

With nothing scheduled for them, they spent the rest of the day exploring the city, trying different foods – both good and bad – and checking out the local shops. They purchased little knick knacks to bring back to their families at home in Japan, little keepsakes of the foreign nation they were in. Makoto bought items for his brother and sister as well as his parents. Rei got something for his parents and Nagisa for his sisters. He also tried to buy something for Rei as well for some reason but they were all weird things. Rei protested that none of the things were beautiful and why would he need something when he was right there anyway. Haru didn’t have anyone in his family to buy for so he bought stuff for Makoto’s siblings instead, trying to shrug it off as if it were no big deal when Makoto looked at him in shock.

Gou spent some time searching, finally finding a lovely silver crafted ring with an pearl on it. Her mother loved pearls. Crafted by the rolling waters of the sea. She had once told Gou that pearls reminded her of Gou’s father. It was more money than Gou wanted to spend but worth it. She knew her mother would appreciate it.

She slipped it onto her finger for safe keeping, knowing it would be better there than in her bag where someone could pick pocket it. It looked nice on there as well, though she imagined it would look better on her mother’s finger.

As sunset neared they headed back to their lodges, not wanting to be out when the more unruly nighttime crowd came out to indulge in the low age restriction for alcohol. Even Nagisa grimaced at the mention of that.

“I’m sure it’s helping their economy out a lot though,” Rei commented as they walked back. “Having so many young students here willing to throw money around for it. I’m sure they’ll make much more in market sales then they’ll lose by giving out those cash prizes.”

Rei did have a point. Not only was the program a good way to improve relations with other nations but the host country would make a ton of money off the purchases the schools and their students would make while residing here. It was a win-win for the host country.

Gou felt someone’s eyes on her and she glanced up. Haru was staring at her for some reason. Or more accurately staring at her hand. He must have felt her eyes on him too, for he looked up at her face. “Nice ring.”

“Oh, t-thank you.”

He turned his face away but she could still see his profile. He was smirking a little. She couldn’t believe it. “What’s so funny?”

His smirk almost widened but he managed to restrain it with some difficulty. “Nothing,” he said. “Nothing at all.”

 

-

 

The museum was indeed impressive, at least from the outside. It was big, with giant pillars that stretched above Gou’s head, and the stonework was fascinating, ancient and yellowed with age and accented with darkened bronze. Nagisa made a comment about it being beautiful, which Rei responded that it was but it had once been used as a deadly military base back during some war or other. Whatever. It was too early for Gou to care what had happened here in eons past. Why had the host country decided to host this sort of thing so early? Even if she had gone to sleep at a good time getting up early was still bothersome.

They waited in the lobby for additional schools to arrive. To save on time and man power, the host country had decided to have schools participate in the programs together. And since Iwatobi was a smaller group they would surely be paired with others. It would be a school from Japan Gou was certain. The host country wouldn’t want to throw them together with students they couldn’t communicate with, plus it would require them to have additional translators present. No it would most definitely be another Japanese school.

Stifling a yawn, Gou looked up at the painting adorned vaulted ceiling. Most of the paintings were…quite bloody. Depictions of conquerors ordering executions or great battles between various factions. How unpleasant. She lowered her gaze with a grimace.

The door opened and Gou looked to see who the other school would be. She froze. _Oh, no. Why_ them _of all people!_

Samezuka swim team came piling in like a tidal wave of lemmings, nearly five times the amount of people Iwatobi had when you included every student regardless of year. They were dressed in normal clothes and Gou may not have recognized them as Samezuka if she hadn’t seen Rin right away. He stopped upon seeing her, surprise showing on his face, and then something which might have been irritation or annoyance at seeing the boys.

Beyond the doors Gou could hear Mikoshiba’s deep voice. She could already see his tall frame coming through. He would _have_ to be here. _Oh god, what am I supposed to do?_ If Rin saw them together…

Gou backed up. Unable to think of anything else, she hid behind the tallest person currently in the room. Makoto blinked down at her form cowering in front of him. “Are you alright, Gou-chan?”

“Shhh!” she hissed. “Don’t say my name!”

But hiding behind Makoto had not been a good idea either.  He was the Iwatobi Swim Team Captain. Who else would Mikoshiba approach? And he did, almost right away.

“Ah, Tachibana-san! Good Morning!”

Gou buried her face in her hands, barely realizing that Mikoshiba had used Makoto’s last name. Why had he used Rei’s first name the other day when he called Makoto by his last name?

“A-ah, Captain Mikoshiba.” Makoto half turned. “Good morning.”

Gou tried to make herself as small as possible. Maybe Mikoshiba wouldn’t see her…

But he did and, when he did, his eyes lit up. “Gou-kun! Good morning! Nice to see you here!” His smile was wide and bright. It lit up his entire face.

“G-good morning.” Her eyes were wide. What the hell was he _doing_?! Her brother was _right there_! Had he lost his mind?

To the side she saw Rei bending over to whisper something to Nagisa. Nagisa’s head perked up and then he was racing off, shouting, “Rin-chan! Hello! It’s nice to see you this morning, Rin-chan! How is your swimming coming?” Rei. He had set Nagisa to distract Rin. Perfect. If there was anyone who could make themselves an inconvenient distraction it was Nagisa.

Gou quickly motioned for Mikoshiba to come here. He blinked and leaned down to be level with her, Makoto’s frame still blocking them from view. “What do you think you’re doing?” Gou whispered furiously.

 “What am I doing?” Mikoshiba sounded genuinely mystified. “I’m acting like nothing happened.”

Gou’s mouth fell open. Was he joking around? Above them Makoto let out a nervous chuckle. His face was almost as red as Gou’s own, and he kept glancing behind himself to where Rin was. Haru just looked bored.

“If we acted weird around each other or ignored each other that’d be odd, right?” Mikoshiba continued. “That would only draw more suspicion. It’s things like that expression you wear right now that would get us caught.” He pointed a finger at her red face and she leaned away from the offending digit.

Damn him, he was right. If they were going to act like nothing happened then he would have to act like he had towards her before that night and not be uptight. If he acted suddenly distant and awkward around her then Rin would catch on like a shark smelling blood in the water. And she had to do the same. If she avoided Mikoshiba, Rin would notice that as well.

Gou glared at the corner of the room, biting her bottom lip. “Alright, fine. I get it.”

Mikoshiba smiled at her then he straightened, popping up beside Makoto like a cork from a wine bottle. “Alright!” he shouted to his team. “Let’s get this show on the road! Lots of history to learn! Have fun but keep your hands to yourselves! Don’t touch anything and don’t get into any trouble!”

He moved away from them, his team following, the guides for the tour scrambling with so many people now. Rin passed by Gou and Makoto, muttering something irritably about Nagisa’s loud voice but otherwise paying no attention to the Iwatobi swim team. Gou felt her muscles relax. Good. He hadn’t seen her talking to Mikoshiba. Nagisa had done his job well.

“W-well,” Makoto coughed. “I guess that wasn’t so bad.” He was still red. “R-right?”

“If _you_ don’t act normal you’re going to be the one to get them caught,” Haru intoned, causing Makoto to stiffen.

Gou took a deep breath. Okay, she just had to act normal. That shouldn’t be…too hard? Ugh. She would just have to pretend that marriage certificate didn’t exist in that drawer back in the lodge. That would be the best and easiest thing to do. _This sucks._

Nagisa came up beside them, looking positively excited and pretty proud of himself. He winked. “I did well, didn’t I, Rei-chan?”

Rei was beaming like a teacher that was proud of his student or a boyfriend whose significant other had done something amazing. “Yes, Nagisa-kun, you did very well!”

Gou rolled her eyes and shook her head, albeit fondly. All of them were idiots, herself included. “Thank you, Makoto, and thank you for doing that, Nagisa-kun.”

He smiled at her and with another deep breath, Gou began the tour of the history museum with the Samezuka swim team.

 

-

 

It didn’t take very long for Gou to figure out the country had a violent history. Decorated with betrayals, suicides, corruption, genocide, religious persecution, and extortion of power by various warlords, the country’s history was quite bloody and littered with corpses.

“Here we have a painting of Princess Ira Parisa,” the guide was saying, gesturing to a picture of a woman dressed in what looked like a gauzy wedding gown that was nearly see through. “In 1866 she was betrothed to the Duke of Normontshire, however after her wedding day she refused to lay with her husband.”

 _Good for her_ , thought Gou.

“She was later beheaded,” the guide went on.

Gou grimaced. _Not so good for her._

She stopped in front of a large gray stone carved with runes. A description was beside it and Gou leaned in to read the letters. Another story about a princess. This one had the princess betrothed to a prince but being in love with someone else, and refusing to marry the prince. Gou clasped her hands together.All for the power of love. How romantic!

A shadow fell over her and Gou glanced out of the corner of her eye, already knowing who to expect from the height and shape of the hair in the shadow. Mikoshiba. “Every bit of history about this country seems rather violent,” he mumbled distractedly. “It’s always someone getting beheaded or stabbed in the back or a sword in the stomach.”

The corner of Gou’s mouth tweaked up. “I noticed.”

Mikoshiba leaned forward to see what she was reading and Gou fought the urge to move away from him. He was incredibly close, practically leaning over her shoulder, but they were trying to act normal. She forced herself to stay put, despite the fact she could feel his body heat along her upper arm.

_He smells like sun and wind._

She closed her eyes in an effort to banish that unruly thought.

“What’s this about?”

“T-the Princesss Branwen Mala,” said Gou. “She refused her arranged loveless marriage in order to marry the man she was truly in love with!” She clasped her hands together once again, eyes starry.

Mikoshiba’s gaze, which had been briefly on her, moved slowly back to the description. He leaned forward further to better read it. His chest brushed against Gou’s shoulder. Gou fought to keep her heart beat even.

“It says here on the bottom she was burned to death for her crimes.”

Gou closed her eyes very tightly, hands tightening around where she still clasped them. She hadn’t read that part yet. “T-the princesses don’t seem to get treated very well in the country,” she remarked.

“The princes either.” Mikoshiba straightened. “I read one of them was caught in bed with a prostitute. He was castrated and hung for it.”

“What about the prostitute?”

“She was paid and sent on her way. She was just doing her job after all.”

“O-oh.” _Okay._ It occurred to her then what she had talked about with the guys earlier. Mikoshiba’s cell phone number! She needed it. She was about to ask him for it when there came a crashing sound somewhere down the next hallway. “I-I hope that’s one of yours and not ours.”

“It likely is.” Mikoshiba turned to walk away then paused as if to say something, but his mouth stopped before he had formed the word. His eyebrows lowered, looking oddly at Gou’s clasped hands. Gou blinked, but he moved off without another word, leaving Gou standing there utterly confused.

 _What was_ that _about?_

 

-

 

For the rest of the tour she hardly saw him and anytime she did catch sight of him he was surrounded by his teammates. _The one time I actually want him to come up to me is the one time when he doesn’t._ Gritting her teeth, she waited.

Rin had pretty much ignored her too. He had kept mostly to himself and the only one he appeared to interact at all with was that Nitori boy. Anytime Gou tried to talk to him he would give her a short answer and walk away.She had wanted to mention the ring to him but it looked like he was in a bad mood. She would wait until later.

There was a gift shop at the end of the tour. All of the students were encouraged to go inside and take a look, the guides suggesting they buy something for their relatives back home. They would do something like that, thought Gou, remembering the point Rei had made about the economy yesterday.  The more money the students spent the better the host country was.

She searched the gift shop but there was no sign of Mikoshiba. She knew she hadn’t missed him. He was a hard guy to miss with his height and hair color when you were trying to find him. Which meant he wasn’t in the gift shop. _I can’t believe I’m hunting him down like…like an actual wife!_

She finally ran into Makoto and Haru looking over some figurines of dolphins and orcas. “Have you seen Mikoshiba?”

“Mikoshiba?” Makoto considered for a moment. “I think he’s outside.”

With an exasperated noise Gou made her way to the exit. Makoto called out after her, “What do you need him for?” Gou raised her hand to her ear in the sign of a phone. “Ah,” said Makoto.

She found him quickly once outside. Further down the building, leaning against the wall, punching away a text on his phone. She ran over to him, praying he didn’t move before she got to him, and she was puffing by the time she reached him.

“H-hey.” She leaned over to catch her breath, so preoccupied with trying to get some oxygen she missed the slightly frigid look he gave her. “Phew.” She wiped a hand across her brow. “I’ve been looking for you. What was that crashing sound earlier?” She had never found out what had caused that noise and didn’t want to start the conversation off with asking for his number, thinking that would be short and rude. The Iwatobi boys hadn’t been the ones to cause the crash. If it had they would likely be sweating and handing out more money than they had right now. So it had to be someone from Samezuka.

Mikoshiba didn’t look at her, his gaze still locked on his phone. “Azuma leaned too far over and knocked over one of those velvet rope restraints,” he said. “That’s all.”

His tone took her back a bit. It was the tone he normally used when speaking with his swim team. His captain’s tone. She was not used to him speaking to her with it. “O-oh, I see.” She dug into her pocket to try and retrieve her cell phone. “I need uhhh-”

“Hey.”

He said it quite suddenly and she paused at the directness of that one word. She blinked. He lowered his phone a bit and looked at her. His gaze was eerily intense, made all the worse by the vividness of his golden eyes. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.

It was a moment before he said anything else and when he did speak his tone was still his captain’s voice. “That ring on your finger.” His words were slow and measured. “I didn’t give you one. Who gave it to you?”

 _Ring?_ She brought her hand up in front of her face. The ring she had bought yesterday with the pearl was on her hand. But why did he care about something like that? _Why does that matt-_

With a start she realized and let out an appalled little shriek. _Oh my god!_

Unwittingly she had placed the ring on her left ring finger. The ring finger of her left hand. Where a wedding ring would go. Suddenly she understood why Haru had been smirking about it yesterday.

“I-I bought it for my mother.” Quickly she moved to remove it, switching it to the other hand. She could feel the blood rising in her face. “I never even thought about…Oh God!” Her hands clapped onto her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she had missed that. What if her brother had seen it? Then again normally she would never have had to think about something like that before. Normal teenagers generally weren’t concerned about which finger they wore their rings on.

 _Normal teenagers…_ That was funny.

“Oh.” Mikoshiba’s gaze was still elsewhere but his face was a little more relaxed than it had been, his eyes losing their intensity. “I see, so that’s what it was.”

Gou ground the heel of her hand into her forehead. She was so dumb. She really needed to pay attention to things more. She hadn’t even been drunk this time! _I am going to die from stress in these next three months, I swear! Or I am going to have so many wrinkles people will think I’m old!_

 “A-anyway, I.” She tried to refocus on the present. “I need your number.”

Mikoshiba turned his head to look at her, eyebrows creased. “My number?”

“Y-your cell phone number.” Gou finally succeed in extracting her phone from her pocket. She held it out to him.

Mikoshiba didn’t take it. He looked at the ugly grey phone dangling in the air between them. “Why would you need that?”

Gou rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Just in case I need to get in contact with you, that’s why. It will make things easier than forcing Rei to play messenger. If I need to get in contact with you quickly this is the best way.” She held the phone out to him again, giving him a pointed look that said ‘don’t make this any harder than it is, please’.

“Why don’t you tell me the number and I’ll just call it then?”

Gou closed her eyes and grit her teeth. “Because I don’t remember my number. I just got it yesterday.” She wiggled the dangling phone. “Just put yours in. Please.”

That seemed to do it. That or he finally realized the only way for her to get his number was for him to -punch it in himself. He took the ugly phone from her hand. Gou waited for him to finish, brooding over the ring incident. She still couldn’t believe she had missed that. And Haru! He should have said something instead of laughing. Then again if she had been in his situation she might have found it amusing too. The girl who was married, accidentally putting rings on her left ring finger like a wedding ring. A thought occurred to her then and she narrowed her eyes.

Mikoshiba _hadn’t_ bought her a ring! He hadn’t even _given_ her one, not that he likely had any to give in the first place. He had left her married and ringless! _How cheap._

“Here.” Mikoshiba held out the phone to her. She took it and flipped it open. “What’s your number?” he asked then shook his head, remembering she didn’t know it.

“Don’t worry, I’m calling you right now.”She scrolled through the names, looking for his. Seijuro. He had put his number in her phone by his first name. Gou stared at it for a long moment. Why was seeing that of all things making her blush? Forcing that aside, Gou punched the call button. His phone rang a second later and he pushed the end key, staring down at the screen.

“Got it.”

“Good.” Gou took a deep breath. It felt like it had taken quite the effort just to get his cell phone number. Then again ever since arriving in this country her days had been crazy. Why would today be any different?

Some of the Samezuka members emerged outside, apparently done with their shopping. They called out to Mikoshiba, who raised his hand in response. “Time to go.” He pushed himself off the wall. “Looks like your guys are ready too.”

Gou turned. The four boys had emerged from the gift shop. They had seen her but they had not come over, giving her and Mikoshiba privacy. Gou saw a head of brownish red hair pass behind them and Nagisa jumped and twirled around as if he had been shocked. “Rin-chan!” Gou could hear him nearly shouting. “Did you buy anything from the store?”

The blond was bobbing and weaving like a meerkat to block Rin’s view. Noticing his predicament, Rei moved stealthily behind Nagisa, blocking the view better with his superior height, keeping his back to the two.

Definitely time to go. Mikoshiba cut across the grass to join his members without having to walk with Gou so by the time got away from Nagisa they were quite far apart and Gou felt safe enough that even if Rin did see them he wouldn’t think anything of it.

Nagisa had his hand over his chest when she joined them. “My heart is beating so fast, Rei-chan,” he said breathlessly. “It’s going ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump.”

“You did great, Nagisa-kun!” Rei encouraged him. “Rin never suspected a thing!”

“Yes, it went good this time,” said Makoto, frowning after the retreating backs of the Samezuka academy, “but let’s hope that doesn’t happen too often. I’m not sure if next time we’ll get so lucky and Nagisa looks like he might have a heart attack besides.”

“If Mikoshiba and Gou act normally they won’t have to hide it,” pointed out Haru blandly. “If they act no differentially than before why should Rin suspect anything?”

“That’s true.” Makoto looked at Gou. “I know Mikoshiba and you talked about it earlier but do you really think you can do that?”

She nodded. “Of course. I will definitely do so.” For the boys and everyone else she would _have_ to. She didn’t want them having to cover for her like that any time Rin was around. It wasn’t fair to them. They should be enjoying themselves rather than stressing out over her.

“Let’s head back to the lodge, please,” said Rei. “I’m feeling awfully depressed after that history tour.”

The others laughed a little, though none of them would disagree. Nothing about the history of this country was practically joyful or happy.

“Let’s go home and watch Friday the 13th!” Nagisa proclaimed as they started the walk back.

“We aren’t watching that!”

“Aw, why not, Rei-chan? Are you afraid of scary movies?”

“I don’t want to watch something that depressing! Let’s watch a happy movie.”

“March of the Penguins,” said Haru.

“But that isn’t happy at all, Haru-chan!” Nagisa cried. “All then penguins _die_ in that. Haru-chan is so cruel…”

 

-

It was getting late by the time they finished the movie. They had spent almost an hour arguing over what to see when first getting to the lodge; no one had seemed able to agree on anything. They had finally settled on ‘The Hangover’, a movie that made Gou a little uncomfortable considering how it reminded her of…things. At least she hadn’t woken up that morning hung over, married _and_ missing a tooth. Or with a tattoo on her face for that matter.

 _I’m guess I’m lucky in some ways._ She snorted.

After the movie Gou went to her lodge for some quiet time away from the boys. As much as she adored them sometimes she had to get away from all the testosterone. She looked forward to when Hana would arrive with the debate team. It would be nice to have another girl around besides Amakata, who Gou adored as well but Amakata was older and a teacher. Gou couldn’t exactly hang around her like she could with a girl her own age. She was missing have other girls around. So far she couldn’t recall seeing a single girl her age around. It was all guys. Swimming guys with nice muscles. But still. She wanted the company of another female sometimes too.

She had only been in the lodge for a half hour or so when her phone went off. Leaning over, Gou saw a message from Rei flashing on the screen. That was a bit odd. What would Rei have to text her about? She flipped the phone open.

_“Please come by the lodge. I must speak to you about something.”_

Jeez, even his text messages were super proper. Still the wording gave her pause. What would he need to speak to her about and what would be so urgent that he would call her rather than just wait until he saw her tomorrow?

Trying to ignore the worrisome feeling in her stomach, Gou got up and made her way next door to the boys lodge. Rei was waiting for her by the front door. He wasted no time once she entered. “Please come with me.”

Gou pursed her lips, but followed him. He led her into the room he shared with Nagisa, who was currently absent. From the sounds of it he was out on the porch with the two other boys trying to get a telescope to work and failing miserably.

Gou was unsurprised to see that half of the room the two boys shared was incredibly clean and immaculate, and the other side peppered with clothing that had been thrown around haphazardly. How Rei dealt with it Gou didn’t know, but from the get go he had always been incredibly tolerant with Nagisa. It was likely he let Nagisa get away with things he would never let anyone else get away with. It was pretty endearing.

“I picked up this book from the gift shop.” Rei sat down on the bed that looked to be his. If the clean pressed sheets that were carefully tucked in were anything to go by. Nagisa’s bed looked like he had thrown the sheets on top of it and hoped gravity would take care of the rest.

Gou leaned in to peer at the book in Rei’s hands. ‘The Rule of Law’. Gou’s eyelids lowered to half mast. Rei _would_ pick out something boring like that to read.

“I wanted to read this because of what was going on with you and…and I found something that might be…important.” Rei’s mouth was in that line again. Without further ado he turned the book towards Gou for her to read. One of the passages was highlighted. She read it, eyebrows creasing. She couldn’t understand the wording, it was so technical. Something about marriage, a wife, a husband, and living arrangements.

“I don’t understand what this means, Rei.”

Rei lowered the book to his lap. He adjusted his glasses, mouth set even firmer than before. “In this country they have a law,” he said carefully after a moment. “This law…it states that a man…a man and woman who are married…they cannot abide in different establishments.”

Gou stared at him. She couldn’t breathe or move. Her stomach felt like it had dropped through her shoes. Her heart didn’t exist anymore.

“In other words,” Rei continued, “this means that Mikoshiba and you.” His purple eyes lifted to meet Gou’s widened dark ones. “You will have to live together.”

Gou’s knees met the floor painfully.


	4. Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gou has to go live with Mikoshiba. That's about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to add more to this but I really liked where it ended at so I left it as is. Consequently its a bit shorter than previous chapters. As the lovely reviewer Vincent pointed out, I totally forgot to mention this fic is based pretty solely on the anime. I have read the drama CDs but I only have read them once and don't have as easy access to them as the anime so I won't be incorporating them into this fic. I haven't read High Speed either, I think I saw a translation of it floating around tumblr a few weeks ago but I lost the link. If anyone has it please feel free to share!

The safest road to hell, Amakata had told her once, is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. She had been quoting some author or other but Gou couldn’t remember anymore. Back then she hadn’t understand what the quote meant – they had been talking about tests or being late to appointments or seagulls or something at the time when Amakata had rattled off that quote – but now she felt like she understood it just a little bit better.

“I can’t live with Mikoshiba!” Gou’s eyes are wide as dinner plates. She runs her hands shakily through her hair. “I-I can’t. He’s a grown man!”

“Actually he’s not considered a fully fledged adult yet,” Rei corrected. “He’s still in high school.”

“I don’t care!” Gou’s shrill voice echoed off the walls. “I can’t live with him! He’s a _boy_!”

From the other room she could hear the door opening. Her loud tone had likely attracted the attention of the other three boys. Faintly she could hear their curious voices.

“A girl and a boy can’t live alone together!” she continued. “Unsupervised! That’s…that’s just wrong!”

Rei sighed loudly, tolerantly, as if he were dealing with a child throwing a temper tantrum. And in his mind maybe he was. For someone who was as methodical as he was following the law was standard procedure. For Gou to be acting like this was illogical to him. “It’s the law, Gou-chan. You don’t have much of a say in the matter.”

“It’s a stupid law!”

“Stupid or not it doesn’t make it any less illegal when you’re breaking it. The authorities aren’t going to _not_ punish you simply because you felt it was stupid.”

Gou covered her head with her arms. She let out a suppressed scream that sounded like a tea kettle that was ready. “I can’t live with him!”

She hardly noticed the three boys come into the doorway. Nagisa asked, “What’s wrong, Gou-chan?”

 Rei wasted no time in telling them. “She has to live with Captain Mikoshiba.”

“Huh?!” Gou couldn’t tell if it had been Nagisa or Makoto who said that, although it was Makoto who followed it with, “Why would Gou have to live with Mikoshiba?”

“It’s the law here.” Rei held out the law book to them. With a questioning look Makoto took it. He read over the highlighted passage, his lips moving as he read. Nagisa leaned over to look as well and even Haru was stretching himself up to try and read over Makoto’s shoulder.

After a few seconds Nagisa leaned away. “What’s it say, Rei-chan?”

Rei adjusted his glasses, annoyance touching his features. “It means that a man and a woman who are married must live together. It is illegal for them not to. If you are married you _must_ live together, no exceptions.”

“So?”

“So,” Rei’s voice was heavy with frustration, “Gou and Mikoshiba are currently married. Therefore they must live together.”

Nagisa made a ‘wah!” sound and turned to stare at Gou. Even stoic Haru looked shocked.

“A-a man and woman of any age?” Makoto’s face was turning that weird shade of again.

“Age is trivial in this matter. If your marriage is legal and binding then you must reside in the same residence.”

“S-surely that can’t apply to Gou.” Makoto swallowed. “ Or Mikoshiba. Neither one of them are citizens of this country.”

“They got married here, therefore the law still applies. I’ve already looked upon that myself, I can assure you.”

“Ohhh, no,” said Nagisa. “Gou-chan has to live with Captain Mikoshiba.”

Gou fisted her hands. “No, I don’t! I’m not living with him!”

“You have to,” said Rei.

“I don’t have to!”

“You do.” He stood and smoothed down his clothes. “What you and Mikoshiba are currently doing is illegal. If you continue to live as you do, in separate residences, you could go to jail or…” He stopped and swallowed painfully. His next words came out strained. “We could get…disqualified from the program.”

The sounds of shock and terror from the boys nearly made Gou’s heart skip a beat. “That can’t happen!” Tears were already welling in Nagisa’s eyes, even though it hadn’t even happened yet. “We can’t get booted from the program! That can’t happen! If we get booted we won’t be able to swim!”

Gou’s mouth dropped. “T-that’s what you’re concerned about?!”

But nobody seemed to be listening to her. “The pools.” Haru’s eyes were flat, like he had died inside. “The biggest pool in the world. I…” He swooned, as if his knees had given out. He barely managed to limp to Nagisa’s bed to sit down heavily on it, his hand spread across his chest. “There were so many I wanted to swim in.”

Gou aimed a hot glare at him but even Makoto wasn’t taking it well. His face was still that sickly shade of blue. Sweat was starting to bead on his face.

“Yes,” said Rei, his voice subdued, like he had just given the worst news in the world. “That is the situation I’m afraid.”

Haru sounded like he was about to start hyperventilating.

“Gou-chan!” Nagisa nearly fell to his knees before her, his hands clasped pleadingly. “You have to live with Captain Mikoshiba! If you don’t we’ll be booted from the program!”

“Are you serious?! He’s a boy! I’m not living with a boy!”

“You’re living with Coach Sasabe right now,” said Nagisa, wiping a trail of dribbling snot onto the back of his hand.

“That’s _completely_ different! He’s your coach! Mikoshiba is a teenage boy!”

“But you’re _married_ to him!”

Gou’s face reddened. Did he really have to say that? The marriage had been a mistake and she was willing to deal with that, but _living_ with Mikoshiba? That was too far.

Haru rocketed to his feet so suddenly that everyone flinched away from him. Like a robot he marched over to Gou, his eyes hidden by his hair. He held up his arm stiffly. One of the Iwatobi wooden figurines he’d made dangled from his hand. “If you live with Mikoshiba I’ll give this to you.”

“I-I don’t want that!” Gou backed away the dangling wooden figure. She had so many of them already. “Why do you have one of those with you anyway?”

Haru’s entire face sagged, seemingly unable to fathom how his plan hadn’t been successful. He stumbled back to the bed.

Nagisa was sobbing now. “I wanted to swim with everyone! I wanted to swim with everyone! Now we won’t be able to!”

Rei bent down to try and comfort the sobbing blond. “Be strong, Nagisa-kun!”

Gou raised her eyes to the ceiling. This was really pathetic. “You guys are acting like somebody died!”

“I feel like I’ve died!” Nagisa proclaimed.

Then Makoto spoke up, “I-It wouldn’t be so bad.” Gou looked at him. He rubbed the back of his head, avoiding her eyes. “I-I mean, living with Mikoshiba. It…It couldn’t be _so bad_ , r-right?”

Gou couldn’t believe it. Makoto _too_? Of all people?!

He must not have noticed her expression because he kept talking. “I mean it isn’t that far from where we are. And you can spend most of your time here. You would just have to go back there to sleep and Mikoshiba, he’s a nice guy, it wouldn’t be so bad. I mean you guys got along great before all of this happened-”

With a noise of disgust she stomped her way out of the room. She was done. Completely done. None of them seemed to care about her feelings at all when it came to this.

She could hear them talking from inside Rei and Nagisa’s room, Makoto saying something about going after her and for the others to stay there. A few seconds later the sounds of his footsteps approached. “Gou-chan, wait! Can we talk about this please?!”

“Why?” she demanded over her shoulder. She was nearly to the door by now. “You guys don’t care about what I feel at all!” She knew that wasn’t true but she was too caught up in her anger right now. “All you care about is if you get kicked out of the program or not!”

It sounded like Makoto had stopped. His next words came soft and inquisitive rather than frantic. “Don’t you?”

Gou made to respond that no, she didn’t when it came to this, but something crossed her mind and she froze with her hand halfway to the door handle.

Her brother. Her brother and the words she had said to Makoto right after she had asked to join the swim team. _“You’re the only ones who can change my brother.”_

Rin. The reason why she had joined the swim team. To bring back the person he used to be. The person she missed the most. If the swim team was disqualified from the program then they - Haru and the others – they wouldn’t have the chance to bring her brother back. If they were disqualified nothing would change. They would remain as they were now. _Rin_ would remain as he was now.

Gout closed her eyes. _I don’t want that._

Makoto, having received no respond, sighed from behind her. “I’ll let the others know.” He turned to leave.

“W-wait.” She could feel Makoto turning back to her. “I-I’ll do it.”

“Do it?”

“I’ll…I’ll go stay with Mikoshiba.” She dropped her hand back to her side. “Please…please let the others know we won’t be disqualified from the program.”

She could literally _feel_ his happiness spike against her back. “Ah, that’s great, Gou-chan!” He likely hadn’t been thinking before he said that as he quickly followed it with, “I mean, a-are you sure?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes.” _All for my brother._ “I’m sure.” _For him._

She narrowed her eyes. _He better freaking appreciate this._

 

-

 

It was dark by the time Gou set out for Mikoshiba’s place. Makoto was the only one who went with her. He helped carry her packs and made sure she didn’t walk alone. Gou was glad that he was the only to come with her. She had insisted on it really. She hadn’t really wanted to listen to the chatter of the others and they seemed to understand that.

Telling the adults had not been easy. Amakata, poor sweet Amakata, had even tried coming with her but Makoto had told her it was highly unlikely Mikoshiba would have an extra room for her on top of the room Gou would need. The teacher had even offered to sleep on the floor but Gou had told her it was alright. Just the offer by Amakata made Gou feel appreciative. She wasn’t about to force the older woman to sleep on the floor.

Goro had barely spoken at all. The stormy look in his face and eyes had said more than enough about his disapproval of the situation.

The walk to Mikoshiba’s was mostly quiet. Makoto carried the majority of Gou’s bags and Gou trailed behind him. Makoto tried his best to cheer her up, telling her that she could come stay at the Iwantobi lodge as often as she liked. “At least you’ll have your own bedroom now,” he chuckled but she didn’t even crack a smile and he soon quieted.

When they reached the path leading to Mikoshiba’s place, Makoto stopped and said he would go talk to Mikoshiba first, to explain the situation before Gou came up. Gou was grateful for that. It would make things a little less uncomfortable for her if Mikoshiba knew what was going on before seeing her. Otherwise he might think she was some sort of crazy stalker or something.

She waited on the low wall that ran along the property as Makoto headed to the door. Unlike the lodges where the Iwatobi team stayed, Mikoshiba’s place was more like a cottage with an enclosed yard and stone path. It lacked the porch and the view wasn’t as nice, but it had more privacy. That would be nice. She could hide from her brother better if he happened to come by.

She watched as Makoto knocked on the door and a few moments later Mikoshiba answered. The two exchanged a few words and then Mikoshiba held the door open for Makoto come in. Into the house Makoto disappeared and Gou turned back around to the darkened street.

She wondered what the two were saying to each other. Would Mikoshiba be upset about the situation? Would he try and fight it? Maybe he would flat out refuse to do it. What would she do then?

_Get arrested._ She ran her hands over her face. Despite how awkward it was going to be living with a guy her own age she barely knew going to jail did sound a lot worse. She hoped he wouldn’t be too resisting to her having to live with him. She disliked the situation already and having to stay there when he very obviously didn’t want her there was only going to make it that much worse. _It’s going to be so uncomfortable and awkward. What if he acts resentful because I’m invading his space when he doesn’t want me around?_

She heard the door open and she looked up, expecting to see Makoto. It wasn’t Makoto. Instead several swimmers from Samezuka came out the door. Her eyes widened. _Oh god._ She was sitting in plain view. If they saw her here not only would she never hear the end of it but if they told her brother…

Quickly she looked about herself, searching for something to hide under or behind. There wasn’t much in the vicinity. Just some rose bushes directly behind the wall she currently sat on.

She stiffened as she heard them finishing their good-bye. They were walking down the steps. Any second they would see her sitting there.

Without a second thought, Gou flung herself into the rose bushes.

 

-

 

“You really did a number on yourself, didn’t you?” It was the sternest tone Gou had ever heard Makoto use. Actually Gou couldn’t think of a time Makoto had _ever_ spoken sternly. It had to be the same tone he used on his brother and sister when they had done something stupid and he was scolding them for it. “Now your legs are all scratched up. I told you to wear pants!”

“How was I to know this was going to happen?” Gou protested and then, “Ow,” as he touched the hydrogen peroxide soaked cotton ball to her scratched up legs.

“Speaking of that,” he said a little crossly, “was it _absolutely_ necessary for you to _throw_ yourself into those rose bushes like that?”

Gou shrank down a little. “I didn’t want them to see me.”

“I’m sure there was a better alternative then _throwing_ yourself into a bunch of thorns! Your luggage was still there after all, I’m sure they saw that.” He sighed in aggrieve. “Now they’re going to think it’s mine and it’s covered in flowers. What are they going to think of me?”

_They probably think that already because of the way you hang all over Haru,_ thought Gou and then another “Ow!” as Makoto pulled out a thorn. Okay, maybe that had been karma.

Mikoshiba entered through the front door. One of Gou’s packs was on his shoulder and he lowered it to the floor amongst the rest of her luggage. “I think that’s the last of them.” He looked over at Makoto hovering over Gou’s legs. “You really scratched yourself up there.”

Gou rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Great now they were both making comments about it. As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough already.

“You don’t happen to have any bandages, do you?” asked Makoto. “I don’t want these to get infected.” Gou made to protest - they were only scratches - but Makoto was having none of it. “These need to be treated properly,” he insisted. “If we don’t clean the dirt out of them and take proper care of them an infection could develop and we’re in a foreign country. That’s the last place you want to get an infection. They must be cleaned properly.”

Gou settled back against the couch she lay on, effectively chastened. Makoto was in full blown big brother mood. It was actually kind of nice, even though it made her feel like a child.

Mikoshiba brought the bandages and for the next fifteen minutes Makoto meticulously cleaned out every single one of Gou’s scratches and placed a bandage over them. Gou was amazed he didn’t use up the whole package with how many he put on there.

When he was finally finished administrating first aid, he leaned back into the couch cushions. “Well, that’s finally done. Wear pants for the next few days. If Ama-chan sees those she’s going to kill me. Or she’s going to think you got in a fight with a mountain lion. Either way she won’t be very happy about it.”

Gou laughed a little. She swung her legs down to the floor, testing if putting her weight on them hurt at all. They still ached but that was simply due to the newness of the wounds.

Makoto looked at his phone. “It’s getting late,” he said. “Do you feel comfortable here enough for me to leave? If you don’t I’ll stay longer.”

Gou glanced at the hall entryway. Mikoshiba was in the bedroom doing something. Since entering the house she hadn’t seen him much. He had been in and out retrieving her luggage and then he had disappeared into the bedroom. “It’s fine. You can go.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. Mikoshiba wasn’t the type to try anything strange she knew and she would have felt uncomfortable regardless of who the male was she was about to start living with.

That didn’t stop Makoto from telling her to call him immediately if anything odd happened as she walked with him to the front door. “Don’t hesitate to call if you feel uncomfortable at all,” he said while in the open doorway. “Or if you need anything. Anything at all. Are you listening, Gou-chan? I’ll have my phone on me at all times. Anything at all, you can call, understand? Don’t hesitate to do so.”

“Yes, yes, I get it. I’ll call if I need anything. You don’t need to worry so much.”

He frowned. “Well I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I mean anymore than you already do. I know you’re doing this for us so…”

That wasn’t entirely true but she didn’t correct him.

“Are you sure you’re fine?” he asked her for the umpteenth time. “I could stay longer.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Seriously. Stop worrying so much.” She rolled her eyes then smiled softly. “You know,” she said after a moment, “you’re a really good brother, Makoto.”

Makoto blinked in surprise. Then a hint of red crossed his cheeks and he looked away in embarrassment. “I’ve…I’ve just had a lot of practice, that’s all. Ren and Ran, they can be quite the handful sometimes.”

Gou smiled again though it quickly faded. She lowered her eyes.  _I wish my brother could be more like that._

She didn’t say it aloud but after having been around Haru for so long Makoto was a bit of an expert when it came to reading faces. He placed a hand gently on top of her head. “I’m sure Rin is a terrific older brother. He’ll come around one day, you’ll see.”

Gou nodded. She hoped that was true.

With a wave Makoto finally departed. Gou watched him go down the steps then gently shut the door. Now she was alone. Alone in the house with the man she was expected to live with for the next three months. Gou closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_Okay…_

 

-

 

Mikoshiba didn’t have any roommates. As the captain of a swimming powerhouse he was privy to some perks and that was one of them. He got to have his own place and didn’t have to share with anyone. _Well, until now that is._

It was certainly nice not having anyone else that Gou had to explain the situation to, but…having a place to himself. That meant there was only one bedroom. Only one bedroom in the place. Only one bedroom with one bed.

Gou’s stomach had plummeted at first by the news but then she had remembered the couch she had laid on while Makoto had spent so long cleaning her cuts.

_If that’s what I have to do then._ There was no way she was going to share a bed with Mikoshiba. Absolutely not. She’d sleep on the couch and be happy about it. She wasn’t sure what Mikoshiba thought or wanted, but she wasn’t about to ask him. Most guys wouldn’t mind a girl sleeping in their bed even if they weren’t looking for sex and Mikoshiba was likely no different. It was a conversation she’d rather not have.

Gou got ready for bed right away. Makoto and she hadn’t left the Iwatobi lodge until late to begin with and after the medical attention he had paid to her legs it was definitely past bedtime. Luckily for her the bathroom was in the hall and not off the bedroom so she could slip in there without disturbing the Samezuka captain. She was pleasantly surprised to find the bathroom clean and tidy. Very much unlike the bathroom she had shared with Rin when they had been children. That had been a disaster. Rin had typically thrown his towel on the floor and left it there, among other unpleasant things like his dirty underwear on occasion. Gou could still recall the shrieks of dismay she had made when he did that.

Everything on the counter was placed in a neat little row and there was an ample supply of toilet paper. The seat was even down, miracle of all miracles. Gou could only assume Mikoshiba must have grown up with a lot of girls. He had been conditioned to put the seat down even when he lived by himself.

Once she was done changing and brushing her teeth, she took her things back with her to her bags. She felt too weird to leave her stuff in the bathroom among his things. Mikoshiba might see it as her intruding or something. Which she already was but she didn’t want to make it worse. She didn’t want to start taking over his space without his consent first.

There were some blankets on the couch and she rearranged them to create a make shift bed for herself that wasn’t half bad. It wasn’t a very big couch but there was enough room for her to stretch out.

Mikoshiba appeared only moments after she had gotten herself situated. He paused at seeing her, as if not expecting her to be there. “What are you doing?”

 “Uhhh.” Gou thought that was rather obvious. “Going to sleep?”

 He tilted his head slightly. “You can use the bed.”

She stiffened. She didn’t respond but he must have recognized her expression for he followed it with, “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Now _that_ gave her pause. “A-Are you sure? I don’t want to kick you out of your own bed. I mean it is _your_ house, I should be the one to use the couch.”

“Its fine, I insist.” He turned to go down the hall without waiting for her response. “Come on.”

 The bed _did_ look a lot more comfortable than the couch. The last time she had been here, a memory she preferred not to recall right at this moment, she hadn’t paid much attention to the bed at all, too busy trying to escape unnoticed. Mikoshiba was lucky. His bed was a queen, much bigger than the tiny bed she had been using at the Iwatobi lodge, with three plump pillows. It even had new sheets on it by the look of it. That must have been what Mikoshiba had been doing while Makoto had been treating Gou’s cuts.

“A-are you sure about this?” Gou felt rather guilty taking over his bed, _especially_ when it was so nice. She was already intruding on his space, even though that wasn’t entirely her fault, she hadn’t married herself. “I mean I can sleep on the couch, it’s really okay.”

“Don’t worry, its fine, really. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch. I’m not going to make you sleep there.” He turned and gestured to one of the bureaus. “There’s a few empty drawers for you. I imagine you’ll want to wait to unpack your stuff until tomorrow. It’s late.” He stifled a yawn to emphasize his point.

He was _giving_ her drawers now? Giving up his space willingly for her sake? Gou almost couldn’t believe it. “Are…are you sure?”

He gave her a look as if he couldn’t understand why she kept asking that. “About unpacking? Of course. You’re going to be staying here now, right? That’s what Tachibana-san made it sound like anyway.”

“Uh, yes.” _Due to the law,_ she wanted to add but decided against it.

“I’m not going to make you keep your stuff packed up in suitcases for the next three months. That’d be terrible.” He motioned to the side where there lay an opening to a closet. “Closet space may be an issue though, it’s not very big, but we’ll figure it out tomorrow. I’m exhausted.” She wondered if she had anything to do with that – maybe her luggage had been too heavy for him to handle by himself or maybe he was stressed out about the marriage and didn’t want to tell her or maybe – but before she could say anything he turned and headed back to the living room with a slight wave. “Have a good night. Let me know if you need anything.”

“A-ah, yes, thank you. Good night.”

Well…maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she had initially thought. She definitely felt less wretched than on the walk over here. Mikoshiba was being very accommodating. More than accommodating…He was being quite nice considering the circumstances. He wasn’t making her feel unwelcome at all.

From down the hall the living room light went out. Already he was going to sleep. On the couch.

_Should I feel bad? Why do I feel bad? Should I feel bad?_

She shook her head. Even if she did feel bad she got the impression Mikoshiba wouldn’t budge on the issue. And she wasn’t about to invite him to sleep in the bed _with_ her. No, sir.

He had placed new sheets down for her. She could tell by how they felt cool and nice against her bare skin. She enjoyed and appreciated that but still. She wouldn’t have minded if he hadn’t changed them either. Falling asleep to his scent wouldn’t have been half bad. Gou froze in shock. What the heck was that thought? Surely she hadn’t thought something like that?

_I’m just...tired. Yes, that’s it. Tired._

She closed her eyes, recalling this wasn’t the first time she had fallen asleep in this bed, except last time she hadn’t fallen asleep alone, and then tried desperately to put such thoughts out of her head.

 


	5. Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get worse for Gou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos! You guys are amazing!

She awoke to the smell of cooking.

For the first few moments, still in the state between dreaming and barely awake, she thought she was back at home. Her mother would be downstairs making breakfast. Even though Gou told her it was fine, she would just have some toast or something, her mother always insisted on making something for her. Every morning she did this. She would wake up early to make breakfast and pack Gou’s lunch. Always she thought of others before herself. She had always been like that. Especially after Gou’s father died.

It wasn’t until Gou opened her eyes fully and saw her alien surroundings that she remembered she wasn’t at home. Far from it. On the other side of the world. Mikoshiba’s place. She remembered now. She wasn’t at home and her mother wasn’t here. But somehow the smell of cooking had still remained.

She sat up and blinked owlishly down the hallway. The cooking smell was definitely emitting from inside the house. But who in god’s name was cooking?

Curiosity won out over tiredness and Gou got out of bed. Yawning and rubbing at an eye, she walking into the living room. The couch was empty save for a pillow and the blankets lying distorted and crinkled. So Mikoshiba was awake too. He couldn’t be the one who…

To the left of her the kitchen lights were on and Gou followed her nose into there. In the doorway she stopped and leaned against the frame. She rubbed hazily at her eye again. Could she still be dreaming?

 Mikoshiba was in the kitchen. Cooking. A spatula was in his hand and on the stove in front of him lay a pot and pan, the place where the heavenly scent was originating. It only took him half a second to notice her. “Good morning!”

It took her a moment to process what she was seeing in order to generate a proper response. “G-good morning.”  Unable to help herself, she stepped forward, wanting to see what he was making. Ham and poached eggs. She stared at the food. When was the last time she had eaten stuff like this? At the Iwatobi lodges they normally ate mackerel or hot dogs or pizza, even for breakfast. This food looked like five star cuisine compared to the fodder she had been forced to eat the last few days.

“Do you want some?”

“Huh?” She couldn’t possibly have heard him right. Had he seen her desiring eyes when she had been staring?

Mikoshiba’s expression was open and friendly, though he wasn’t really smiling. “Are you hungry?” he asked her. “I could make you some.”

“Umm…” If she went back to the Iwatobi lodge she would be forced to eat mackerel again or something weird like ice cream covered mackerel or mackerel covered pizza. The thought alone made her want to vomit. “A-are you sure? I don’t want to eat all your food b-but…if you don’t mind…”

Mikoshiba smiled. A full smile that lit up his whole face. “I wouldn’t offer if it wasn’t fine.”

She settled at the small table close to the entrance of the kitchen next to the fridge. She felt it would be rude if she went into the living room after he had just offered to cook for her, and outside of the coffee table in the living room this was the closest thing Mikoshiba had to a dining table. While his place was a decent size it did lack a dining room.

On the wall next to her was a tack board. Only one paper was tacked there and Gou found her eyes drawn to it. The program schedule for the Samezuka swim team. Her eyes trailed down to today’s date. The Juraj Temple. That’s where Samezuka was going. That was good. Iwatobi had the pool for practice today. She wouldn’t be stuck in Mikoshiba’s hair all day. Even if she had to come here every night at least they would have their days separate.

“Did you sleep well?”

Mikoshiba’s voice pulled her away from the study of his swim team’s schedule. “Oh, yes, thank you.” _Too_ good actually. That bed. It had to be the bed. It was too comfortable. She had slept like a baby.

She thought about asking him if he slept well in return but decided against it. It might just dig in the fact he was stuck on the couch since she had taken over his bed. That wouldn’t be fair. She wondered if he regretted his decision to let her take the bed.

“You can unpack your things whenever you feel like it,” he continued. “Your packs are still in the living room, aren’t they?”

“Yes.” Gou dragged out the last syllable as she looked behind herself to where her bags still sat where he had placed them last night. There were so many of them she didn’t look forward to unpacking. Oh, well, least she hadn’t packed as bad as Amakata. If she had they would have needed to rent a truck to transport all her stuff last night. “I’ll do it later this evening if that’s alright. We have pool practice today.”

“That’s fine. Take your time, no rush.”

When Mikoshiba set the plate down before her a few moments later Gou stared at it. Poached eggs, ham, and wheat toast. He even had orange juice. _Have I died and just not realized it?_ Iwatobi had been drinking the sugariest soft drinks that were probably known to man. Gou was honestly amazed the things were legal. They always tended to make her feel a little ill after she drank one. It was no wonder Nagisa was such a spazz drinking that stuff all day.

 “Is it alright?” Gou raised her gaze to find Mikoshiba staring at her over the two plates. He actually sounded hesitant.

She waved her hands frantically. “No, no, it’s—it’s great! I was just…” _Thinking about sugary softdrinks that should be illegal._ “W-well it doesn’t matter.Thank you.”

He smiled at her then set to eating his own food. Gou picked up her fork and held it stiffly in her fist like she were about to do battle with it. The food looked nice but how it would taste? She was almost scared to find out. Forcibly she stabbed into a piece of the egg. She hesitated then compelled herself to place the food in her mouth.

 _Oh god._ She had died. She was dead. She was dead and she was in heaven. Heaven where the food was good and didn’t taste like grease or fake sugar or—or _mackerel_. She set on the food like a starving hound on a fox. “D-do you always eat like this?” she asked around bites. “All the time?”

“Of course.” Mikoshiba leaned back against the wall. He was sitting sideways rather than towards her. A good thing considering his long legs and the lack of space under the tiny table. His feet would have practically been in her lap if he sat the normal way. “Swimmers have to eat healthy. If they don’t it affects their performance.”

Gou paused with a piece of ham halfway to her mouth. All the bad stuff the Iwatobi boys ate on a pretty much daily basis flashed through her mind. If they were doing that…could it be affecting their performance negatively? Gou had never considered something like that before.

 “Oh really?” The ham finished its journey to her mouth and she chewed blissfully. The Iwatobi boys were useless when it came to information about good diets. But Mikoshiba, he sounded like he had a better handle on good eating habits. “What…what sort of foods are bad?”

His gaze lifted to the ceiling in what must have been thought. “Anything fatty. Pies and sausage rolls for example. White breads and pasta. Hot dogs—” Gou flinched. “Fried chicken. That sort of thing. Saturated fats can slow performance along with trans fat and hydrogenated oils.”

“Uh-huh,” Gou said slowly. She was trying desperately to put all of that memory, although she had no clue what trans fat and hydrogenated oils were. “What are the sorts of foods you stick to then as a competitive swimmer?”

“Carbohydrates,” he answered without hesitation, warming up to the subject. “That’s the most important nutrient. It’s the easiest way to get the energy you need to move and swim faster. Complex carbohydrates are the best source because they release slowly throughout the day. Simple carbohydrates are good too but they only give you a quick energy burst.”

“What foods are complex carbohydrates?”

“Rice, cereal, pasta, noodles, beans. That sort of thing. Even popcorn.”

Gou frowned. “What about this then?” She held up her fork with a piece of ham stuck to it. “This isn’t a carbohydrate right?”

He shook his head. “That’s for protein. Swimmers need that too. It helps repair your body after training and helps your muscles get stronger. The meat just need to be lean and low in fat.”

 _So meat is good so long as it isn’t fatty meat. Check._ “What meats are a lean meat?”

“Poultry without the skin. Fish.”

Oh good _._ If Haru couldn’t eat mackerel he’d have a nervous breakdown.

“Steamed or roasted meat rather than deep fried,” Mikoshiba continued. “Vegetables of any kind are good too, and fruit. They’re good for snacks.”

“Snacks,” muttered Gou. She was going to have a hard time remembering all of this to write in her notebook later. _Who knew eating was so complicated._

There was a ringing sound and Mikoshiba pulled out his phone. He pushed a few buttons, looking at the screen. “The others are ready. We’re going to that temple today.”

“Uh hum,” Gou hummed, her eye sneaking over to the calendar.

Mikoshiba stood and straightened his shirt, and it suddenly occurred to Gou that she was still in pajamas and had been the entire time. Her cheeks reddened a little. The thought of getting dressed had never even occurred to her. Then again he had seen her in her sleeping clothes last night too so it wasn’t that big of a deal. _It’s not like I can exactly hide from him anyway considering we have to live together._ They would be seeing each other in their sleeping clothes for the next three months so might as well get used to it.

Mikoshiba picked up the two dirty plates and set them in the sink. “Lock the door when you leave, would you,” he said. “When you’re on your way back here text me so I can unlock the door for you if need be.”

“Ah, o-okay.” That was weird. They were talking like a married couple discussing and planning their day. Gou mentally smacked herself. Roommates! That’s what they were. _Just roommates! Not…not that!_

With his usual wave Mikoshiba departed, leaving Gou alone in the house. That felt weird too. Being in his house without him there, like a guest who remained at their host’s house when the host wasn’t there. Needing to give herself something to do, she got up and then with much heaving and grunting succeeded in dragging one of her packs into the bedroom. It was the one with the majority of her clothes. She unpacked it, placing her clothes into the free drawers Mikoshiba had given her.

Her eyes roved over the bureaus, counting the drawers. Even. They were even. The amount of drawers he had and the ones he had given her. He had divided them evenly.

_“When you’re married you’re supposed to do everything by halves.” Her mother’s voice long ago as she brushes Gou’s hair._

_“But why halves?”_

_“Because.” Her mother strokes her hair. “When you’re married everything you own becomes half of his, and everything he owns is half of yours. That way, when you combine them together, you get a whole.”_

Gou shook her head. She really didn’t want to think about that sort of stuff right now. She doubted that was the sort of advice her mother would be giving her right now if she found out about Gou’s current…situation.

She looked down at the pearl ring on her hand. Thinking about her mother and the words she had spoken so softly made Gou ache. Maybe it was true. Maybe you did give away half of yourself when you got married. When Gou’s father had died, did that mean her mother had lost half of herself as well?

Gou shook her head, pressing her palms to her temples. She really didn’t want to think about this anymore.

She closed the drawer, her unpacking finished for the time, and got ready to head over to the Iwatobi lodges.

 

-

 

“Alright!” Gou brandished her notebook like it was the latest commandment and she was about to divulge it to the masses. “I have news for everyone!”

 Whenever Gou got out her notebook the boys knew it was serious. Therefore they stopped whatever they were discussing to pay her rapt attention. Gou thought this was a good thing. If she didn’t have anything to present them with they’d probably pepper her with questions about Mikoshiba and staying over at his place. Questions she didn’t want to answer.

“It has come to my attention that what we have been eating, _especially_ in these last few days, are incredibly unhealthy,” she began, trying to sound as official as possible. “These unhealthy foods are,” she paused to flip open her notebook, “affecting our performance and making our swim times slower,” she read off. “Because of this knowledge I propose,” she closed her notebook with a smart slap, “that we initiate an eating regiment from this day forward!”

She was not met with the enthusiasm she expected. The boys simply stared at her for a long moment. “An eating regiment?” Nagisa asked at last.

“She means a diet,” said Rei.

There was a sharp intake of breath. “A-a diet?” Makoto’s mouth was twitching. “Do we really need something like that? None of us are overweight I don’t think...”

Nagisa was poking his toned stomach experimentally.

“It isn’t a diet to lose weight!” Gou slammed her hands down on the table. “This is to make sure we give our best performance out there and aren’t slowing ourselves down! If our bodies aren’t in the best shape then we have no chance of winning! And if we don’t win than our club is doomed to have no accomplishments and we won’t be able to afford anything! In order to make sure we win, we must make sure we are in the best shape possible!” She dug into her notebook. “Here. I wrote up a chart for everyone. These will be the planned meals for the next few weeks.”

She handed them out to each boy and to Coach Sasabe, who, after a moment of reading over it, nodded. “This is better. Definitely better than those poisonous seawater drinks you boys have been drinking. I definitely agree those need to go.” He frowned down at the paper in his hand. “I don’t see any pizza on here though.”

Gou stiffened. “T-that’s because we won’t be eating pizza…It isn’t good for you.” She waited for the outburst, which Goro was more than willing to give.

“N-no pizza?!” He stared at her like she had just told him the rudest phrase ever conceived. “How could you say no pizza?! Pizza contains every food group on the food pyramid! How could that possibly be unhealthy?!”

“How does it contain every food group?” asked Rei wonderingly. “Pizza doesn’t have fruit or vegetables.”

“Pineapple!” Goro insisted. “And spinach! There’s your fruit and vegetables right there! Any food group you can possibly think of can be found on pizza, I’m telling you!”

“No hot dogs?!” Nagisa cried. “Why can’t we eat hot dogs?!”

“They’re bad for you!” said Gou.

“How are they _bad_? They’re delicious!”

“Because,” said Gou, “they contain—” She paused to flip open her notebook again. “They contain trans fat and hydrogenated oils. That’s why they’re bad for you!” She still had no idea what those were, or if they were even in hot dogs, but she doubted Nagisa would either.

“Mackerel.” Haru’s monotone cut through the protests. “Mackerel is on here.”

“Yes, it’s a lean meat. It’s healthy so we can have it.”

Haru didn’t say anything in return but he seemed to be smiling softly. Good. At least _one_ person was relatively happy about this.

“What about popsicles?” asked Makoto. From anyone else it might have seemed like a strange question but Gou had seen on multiple occasions Makoto split his popsicles with Haru without Haru ever having to say a word. It was like the little special thing they did.

_“When you’re married you each get half.”_

Gou’s mother’s voice again. Maybe it should have been Haru and Makoto to get married that night. The situation would likely be a lot easier than what it was currently. The two were pretty much married as is.

“Popsicles are okay but _only_ oncea week,” Gou stressed. “No more.”

Makoto didn’t look too happy about that but he accepted it without a fight.

“Whose going to cook this menu?” asked Rei, always the one to ask the important questions.

Gou grimaced. She hadn’t thought about that. Haru was a good cook but she knew his response would likely follow along the lines of ‘it’s too much effort’ or ‘I only cook free’ if she asked him to do it. “Coach Sasabe?” she offered hesitantly after a moment.

“Absolutely not!” he flared. “I’m not a chef!”

“You cook pizza all the time!”

“Yes, I cook _pizza_ all the time! Not the rest of this stuff! If I’m going to cook then this whole menu will be pizza! Pizza—” He looked at the paper. “Pizza fruit, yogurt pizza, pizza salad, mackerel pizza, egg pizza, pizza soup! That’s what we’ll be having!”

Gou sighed heavily. This was more taxing than she had anticipated. They were being more resistant to the idea of healthy eating than she had figured. Faintly she wondered if Mikoshiba’s swim team followed the same diet regiment he did. On one hand she could see him doing it as the captain but on the other she could see him doing it as his own thing. He took swimming so seriously after all. She’d have to ask her brother next time he saw him.

“My, my it’s so loud in here.” Amakata stepped into the room, dabbing a towel delicately at her wet hair. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Gou’s torturing us,” said Nagisa.

“I-I am not! Eating healthy is a good thing! You should be thanking me!”

“Eating healthy?” Amakata sidled up to Rei to look over the paper. “Oh, this is a nice selection.”

“Huh?!” Goro stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

The teacher slid the paper out of Rei’s hands to look over it better. “Oh yes, this is pretty good. Very healthy. Did you make this, Gou-chan?”

“Uh, y-yes. I did.” Gou was a little flattered to tell the truth. She had thrown it together after listening to Mikoshiba and after a little bit of research on her own, but she had thought it was sloppy at best. Most of the stuff she had taken a wild stab at it. “None of us can make it though. None of us are very uhhh…cooking inclined.”

Amakata spent a few more moments looking over the sheet. “I can make this easy,” she said. “In fact this is pretty close to the diet I used to use when I was a swimsuit mod—uhhhh working in the swimsuit industry.” Her smile was almost pained. “This shouldn’t be hard at all.”

Gou’s eyes widened. Amakata. Why had she not thought of her before? She had sampled a few of Amakata’s dishes in the past and all of them had been good.  Amakata was the perfect candidate. “A-are you sure, Ama-chan?” asked Gou. “You’re cooking has always been delicious but I know that’s a lot of responsibility.”

“Oh, it won’t be that bad.” Amakata waved her hand. “I won’t be doing much anyway when you guys are busy swimming or going on tours. This will be a great way to fill my day. I do enjoy cooking.”

“That’s not really fair, is it?” Goro’s arms were crossed. “Asking you to cook all the time.”

“Well, not _all_ the time.” Amakata laughed. “We can go out on occasion and I’m sure you’ll be willing to help sometimes.” She gave him her sweetest smile.

Goro blinked. “Uhh, y-yes. O-of course.” He coughed and suddenly seemed to find the wall opposite Amakata very interesting.

Gou stared at the two. _Is she hitting on him?_

“Oh,” said Amakata, as if she had just remembered something. “We got a new schedule by the way. One of the hosts dropped it off this morning.”

Gou’s brow furrowed. “A new schedule?”

“For the program.” Amakata dug a piece of folded paper out of her pocked and handed it to Gou. “I figured you’d want to hold onto it, Gou-chan.”

Gou nodded, her attention already focused on the paper she was unfolding. Their schedule _had_ been changed. Their swim days were still the same but everything else was different. All the events the host country were throwing that they had to attend had changed. That was odd. Why had they suddenly done that without consulting Iwatobi first? _Maybe they had some schools they over looked and they’re trying to fit them in now._ Oh, well. Not much she could do about it. She tucked it into her notebook.

“I-it’s time to go!” Goro hollered. “Let’s get a move on! The pool isn’t going to wait all day!”

He face was oddly red as they marched outside.

 

-

 

It was late by the time Gou left the Iwatobi lodges. She had spent most of the day at the pool with the boys, timing them and making notes, but by early afternoon she had left the pool to go shopping with Amakata. The whole food stock of the house had to be redone and Amakata had taken the time while they were practicing to go through everything and throw out anything unhealthy.

The shopping trip took longer than Gou wanted to admit or think about it. It would have taken long regardless but Amakata tended to get excited when she found food she liked or new food she had never heard of to try. Food shopping with Amakata was equivalent to accompanying a toddler through a candy store. She got distracted constantly and would often squeal and disappear down some aisle, leaving Gou racing to catch up with her.

By the time they got home with all the groceries and put them away, Gou was exhausted and they still had the cooking to do.  Amakata put Gou on chopping duty which wouldn’t have taken so long except she was too tired to cut with any sort of speed.

The boys got back around sunset, tired but pumped after their practice, and Gou had to spend the next hour listening to them continually complaining they were hungry and where was the food. At one point she found Nagisa trying to scarf down some sweet bread he had snuck in from somewhere, and she chased him around the house batting him with her notebook and yelling at him. To her surprise it was actually Haru who intervened and took away the sweet bread, throwing it out the window while saying something about eating mackerel because it was a lean meat and healthy. _Using my words._ Gou’s eyebrow ticked.

When Amakata finally served up the food, everyone made comments about how long it had taken. However when they finally did begin to eat, nobody complained. Amakata had made roasted chicken with rosemary and brown rice. And it was delicious. Gou almost couldn’t believe it.

“You have a wonderful gift, Ama-chan!” Nagisa proclaimed and Amakata tried to wave it off like it was nothing, even though she was clearly flattered.

Everyone had only nice things to say after that and they all ate so much that there were no leftovers. Once they were done eating, the boys lounged about in food comas like zombies and Gou felt pretty comfortable believing that they would stick with the food regiment now. If Amakata kept making meals like that one anyway.

So it was late by the time Gou set out for Mikoshiba’s. Makoto had offered to walk her but she had refused. If she was going to walk every night she didn’t want to have to wait for an escort every time. It wasn’t far and she wanted to get used to walking it by herself. Makoto was too full to offer much protest. “Text me when you get there so I know you’re safe,” he had said.

Gou had rolled her eyes in response but she did appreciate his care.

She was halfway to Mikoshiba’s before she remembered she was supposed to text him too. She pulled out her ugly grey phone and punched in the message letting him know she was on her way. It was hardly a moment later when she received a response back.

‘K.’

She frowned down at bright screen with its short message. Well, that must mean he was at the house and it was unlocked. Otherwise she hoped he would have sent her something a little longer. _Something longer_ either _way._

When she opened the door, it was unlocked like she had assumed and he was home too. “Yo.” He was sitting at the tiny table in the kitchen, a direct line of sight from the front door, and he waved a hand in greeting. “How was the pool?”

“Alright.” Gou dropped her bag and let out a grateful sigh to have the thing off her shoulder, feeling like she could finally relax after a very long day. Without even thinking about it she approached him. “How was the temple?”

“Large,” said Mikoshiba. He had turned back around and was frowning down at some paper lying on the table in front of him. “And violent. I think the guide said they beheaded around one hundred odd people there.”

“Oh.” Gou grimaced. “Isn’t that…pleasant.” She leaned over slightly to see what he was looking at. “What’s that?”

“I got a letter.”

“A letter?”

“From the government.”

“The government?” That couldn’t be good. _Anything_ that involved the government here had been bad news. ‘ _The drinking age is sixteen so feel free to get smashed! You got married while drunk and dumb, but we won’t let you get a divorce! You got married by mistake and we won’t let you get a divorce, but now you also have to live together!’_ The list just went on and on.

Mikoshiba held up the paper for her to look at better. “It’s a congratulatory letter.”

 _A congratulatory letter?_ Her eyes roved over it. A congratulatory letter on their marriage. “Oh.” She frowned at it in distaste. “How nice of them.”

Mikoshiba chuckled. “Should we frame it?” he asked. “We can hang it up somewhere.” Gou’s panicked stare was all the answer she could muster and he quickly held up his hands. “I was kidding, only kidding.” He looked at the paper with a strange expression. “I’ll hide it somewhere.”

 _Or throw it out_ , thought Gou but couldn’t bring herself to say it. For all she knew Mikoshiba planned on keeping the documents as a souvenir. Something to show his kids when he was older maybe. _‘See the stupid mistakes Daddy made when he was a teenager! Don’t drink alcohol, kids! It will be the biggest mistake of your life because the next morning you might wake up and discover you got married to a near total stranger!’_

Well, if that’s what he wanted to do he could go ahead. Personally Gou didn’t want to keep anything to remind herself of this. Once they were back in Japan and the divorce had been performed she would wipe it from her mind and pretend it had never happened.

“I’m exhausted,” she stated. “I’ll unpack tomorrow if that’s okay. We have the aquarium tomorrow that I have to be up early for it.”

“Really?” Mikoshiba asked the word in a tone that made Gou pause. He was frowning slightly. “We have the aquarium tomorrow too.”

She narrowed an eye and then leaned to the side to look past Mikoshiba at the schedule attached to the board. Aquarium was printed on the square marked for tomorrow. “Huh, so you are.” It wasn’t the first time their two schools had been matched up but still. It was a little strange. She shook her head as if clearing away flies. “I’m going to bed.”

“Have a good night,” said Mikoshiba.

Good night Gou tried to say but it was swallowed by the massive yawn she gave instead.

 

-

 

_This is so awkward._

She stood beside the Iwatobi boys in front of the aquarium. Next to her the four were fidgeting relentlessly. Nagisa was hyper – maybe he had found one of those sugar infused saltwater drinks that Amakata had missed – and Haru was twitching like a disjointed insect. Makoto was trying his best to keep him calm, muttering they should have used one of the sedatives he had left over from the flight to keep Haru in check before they had left the lodge. Having Haru around the aquarium was a bad idea. So much water…

Gou tried her best to ignore them. Her mind was on other things besides their strange quirks. She hadn’t said much to Mikoshiba before leaving this morning. She had purposely left early; partly to avoid an uncomfortable situation, partly because she wouldn’t want her brother to see her walking anywhere with Mikoshiba ( _especially_ out of Mikoshiba’s own house), and partly because she had wanted to make sure the boys were sticking with the food regiment. They had been thankfully, although it wouldn’t have surprised her if Nagisa was keeping a stock of bad things under his bed. She would have to check when they got back later.

As it were they were waiting on the Samezuka swim team to show up. Considering the large amount of students they had compared to Iwatobi it was no surprise that they would take much longer to arrive than they. Still the time was ticking by incredibly slowly and they were starting to get impatient.

Nagisa yawned and stretched. “Why isn’t your husband here yet, Gou-chan?”

She straightened like she had just been electrocuted. “Don’t call him that!”

“But that’s what he is, isn’t he?” Nagisa blinked his wide guileless eyes. “Do you not refer to him like that when you’re alone together?”

Gou’s face was so red she felt like all her blood had vacated to there. “Nagisa,” Makoto said lowly in warning.

“Sorry, sorry.” He waved his hand. “I know Gou-chan doesn’t want us talking about her husband-chan.”

Gou fought the urge to hit her head against something hard. Her hand tightened into a fist. _Nagisa, I swear!_

 As if on que the Samezuka swim team made their appearances at that very second and frantically Gou maneuvered herself around a tree before they saw her reddened face. If her brother saw her he might think Haru had said something inappropriate rather than the actual situation. _Which is much, much worse._

“Good morning, Tachibana-san!” Gou heard Mikoshiba greet Makoto from behind her. For some reason hearing his voice only made her face heat up even more. _It’s because of Nagisa! He just_ had _to say that stuff about him being my husband!_ Oh god, now her face was so hot she felt like she was sweating.

“Good morning, Captain Mikoshiba,” Makoto returned pleasantly. “Glad to see you guys made it.”

Mikoshiba made a noise of confirmation. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” There was a second of silence and Gou swore she could feel his eyes on her from the thin tree she was hiding behind. “Good morning, Gou-kun.”

She stiffened rigidly. Did he _have_ to talk to her right now?! She knew he was just trying to act normal and if he didn’t say anything to her that’d be unusual but still. She would have preferred if he hadn’t talked to her _right_ this second. “G-good morning,” she forced out.

“Hmmm,” he said from behind her. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine!” she squeaked. “And don’t use Gou and kun together!”

Their guide for the aquarium approached them and thankfully the attention was taken off Gou. She still waited for the Samezuka team to go ahead of them before entering the aquarium. Nagisa was laughing at her and she stomped her foot at him. “You are the worst!”

Nagisa ran away laughing and Rei chased him, scolding him for running inside a building with lots of glass.

“So the fun begins,” Makoto muttered under his breath. His hand shot out and snagged onto the back of Haru’s shirt, pulling the dark haired teen up short and nearly choking him as Haru tried to make a beeline for one of the nearby tanks. Ahead of them Nagisa was already bouncing and tugging on Rei, pointing at various things he wanted to see. And ahead of them somewhere in that tangled mob of Samezuka students was Mikoshiba and Gou’s brother.

Gou took a deep breath. “No kidding.”

 

-

 

Gou wasn’t sure what made the worst impression. The second day they had been here when the boys had tried swimming while hung over or today. Haru kept trying to disrobe and climb into tanks. Makoto had jumped on him to restrain him more times than Gou could recall and even Nagisa and Rei had had to detour him from taking his clothes off once or twice. At the start the guides had calmly asked that Haru control himself and refrain from making a spectacle, but after a while their patience had grown thin and they threatened to throw them out if it continued. _That_ at least had broken through to Haru and the teen had finally restored some semblance of control to himself. Apparently getting kicked out was worse than not being able to swim so he refrained from performing another strip tease in the middle of the aquarium. Gou was really glad there were no kids around to see that.

With Haru behaving himself, the others were finally able to enjoy themselves more and take in the sights. They were given pretty much free reign of the aquarium and it was large enough they could span out and not run into each other much. Gou saw Rin a few times with the boy Nitori and she sidled up to him when he was watching some video on grey white sharks or something on a screen. Ever since Rin had been little he had liked sharks. Gou kind of got the impression he felt some sort of kinship with the beasts for some reason.

“Haru stop trying to climb into tanks?” he asked her without looking up from the video of a grey white shark grappling with seagulls over some floating corpse of a mammal.

“For now,” muttered Gou. “They threatened to kick him out if he didn’t stop.”

Rin made a ‘keh’ sound. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten kicked out or threatened to be kicked out?”

Rin considered that for a moment. “Both,” he said.

She saw Mikoshiba a few times too but he was busy with his teammates so she didn’t bother him. It was a calm atmosphere rather than a frantic one like she had experienced when first encountering Mikoshiba in the museum. So long as they acted normally Rin shouldn’t suspect anything and acting normally meant they were mostly involved with the teammates rather than each other so Gou was satisfied to leave things as they were.

By the time they started filing out of the aquarium in preparation to leave it was nearly sunset. Rei and Nagisa had come out with Gou but Haru and Makoto disappeared sometime ago, something about Haru wanting to see the mackerel again. Hopefully they would be ushered out with the rest of the students. The aquarium was closing soon.

Gou took a seat on the steps outside to rest her tired feet as she waited for the others. Her heels ached from all the walking and standing they had done today. She was ready to go home and stretch out on a couch and not move the rest of the night.

“Almost out of here.” She looked up to find Mikoshiba settling on the step next to her. “You look tired.”

She grunted. There was enough distance in between them that she didn’t feel like he was invading her personal space and they were protected from view on either side by raised concrete squares filled with flowers so she only leaned back slightly to double check that Rin wasn’t scouting around for her.

“Still waiting on a few people?”

“A few stragglers, yeah.”

She made a small sound of amusement. “Us too. Haru and Makoto disappeared somewhere.”

Mikoshiba frowned at the mention of those names. “What was going on with Nanase-kun today anyway? Does he normally try to get naked in public? I vaguely recall he tried to do the same thing at the Jurrian.”

Gou tried to stifle her laugh. She could still remember when Haru had tried to get into the punch bowl at the bar too. At least there were a few things she could remember from that night. “He just likes water,” she said. “ _A lot._ Maybe even sexually.”

“Aquaphilia.”

She blinked at him. “Sorry?”

“Aquaphilia,” Mikoshiba repeated. “That’s when you’re sexually attracted to water.”

“Oh.” Her brow furrowed. “I…I can’t believe they actually have a word for it. A-and how do you know something like that?”

He was the one who laughed this time. “Trust me, when you’ve been in competitive swimming as long as I have you’d know it too. You’ll run into one or two like that.”

Gou grimaced. Now that she really didn’t need to know. Haru was one thing but she didn’t like to imagine what someone who actually _did_ have aquaphilia would try to do when at an aquarium.

Someone called out Mikoshiba’s name. “Sounds like we’re ready.” He stood. “See you at the house.”

She grunted back in response and watched him walk away. Funny, Iwatobi managed to always get there before Samezuka when they had events planned together but somehow Samezuka always managed to leave first.

With Samezuka leaving, Nagisa and Rei moved over to where Gou was. “I can’t get in touch with Haru-chan,” Nagisa complained. His pink phone was in his hand.

“I have tried Makoto-sempai as well,” said Rei, peering at his purple one. “Neither one have responded.”

“Maybe they got lost,” said Gou. She hoped that’s what it was and that Haru hadn’t decided to try and get into the mackerel tank again and manage to not only get himself but Makoto arrested as well. That was the last thing they needed, not to mention Amakata and Goro. Goro would probably lose it if the boys got arrested on top of all the other trouble the teens had caused the two adults in the short time they had been in this country.

Nagisa fell back on the concrete. “I’m so tired,” he moaned.

That was no surprise. He had been running around like a maniac in the aquarium all day. Although Gou was tired too. Sighing she took out her phone and tried Makoto too.

 

-

 

The aquarium was past closed when Haru and Makoto finally showed up. “Haru really likes the mackerel,” Makoto said as way of explanation with a grimace. “We never even realized the aquarium had closed and none of the guides knew we were there so no one came over to tell us.”

The janitor had been the one to finally spot them and shoo them out.

By the time they had walked back to the Iwatobi lodges and eaten, Gou was too exhausted to make her way over to Mikoshiba’s. “One night couldn’t hurt, right?” she asked Rei. “We can just say we’re having a sleep over.”

Rei frowned that frown of his. “I was going to say one night couldn’t hurt,” he replied, “but saying you’re having a sleep over with four males and no other females might raise some eyebrows, especially considering the fact that you’re married.”

He did have a point there, although Gou wished he had phrased it differently and left out the married bit. She texted Mikoshiba to let him know and was not surprised when he simply responded with an ‘alright’. Maybe he was just one of those people who hated text messaging. She had seen him spend so much time on that phone maybe he tried to do it as little as possible. _Well, at least he’ll be able to sleep in his own bed. I’m sure he’ll be grateful for that for a night._

“What’s on the schedule for tomorrow, Gou?” asked Makoto right as they were getting ready to go to bed.

Gou was forced to go get her notebook and pull out the paper to check. She hadn’t memorized the new one since their hosts had changed it on them. “Clam hunting,” she said with some surprise.

“Clam hunting?”

“And conch hunting,” she finished. “Apparently the ancestors of this country used to hunt and eat them so it’s part of their culture.”

“I cannot decide whether that is going to be fun or utterly horrible,” Rei voiced his opinion on the matter.

 _No kidding._ Gou couldn’t either.

Amakata loaned some clothes for Gou to use for the night and Gou settled in. Her last thought before she fell asleep was wondering what Samezuka was doing tomorrow and if Mikoshiba would enjoy not having her around for the night.

 

-

 

Early morning found them seated on a bench, dressed in light clothing with their bathing suits underneath and sandals on their feet. In front of them two buses were churring softly. The clam and conch hunting was further away than any of the past activities had been so they would have to bus to the location.

“Two busses?” Makoto had questioned when they had first arrived.

“Must be a big school joining us,” said Rei and Gou had been too tired to notice the worrying glance Makoto sent her way.

Gou yawned into her hand, wishing these activities would start later in the day. You were supposed to sleep in as much as possible for summer, right? The host country forcing them to get up early was a travesty and grossly unfair.

She hadn’t slept well last night either. She had tossed and turned a lot, and had woken up several times throughout the night. Mikoshiba’s bed had cursed her. It was much more comfortable than the bed at the Iwatobi lodge. Or maybe her subconscious was stressed out by changing her sleeping surroundings so often. That had to be it, it was the only logical explanation behind it.

“The other school is here,” said Haru and everyone turned to look.

Gou dully tilted her head that way to see who it was. Her eyes widened. Before she had even realized it she was on her feet.

“Samezuka,” Makoto said quietly.

 _It couldn’t be._ Gou couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even form words. Again?! They had been partnered with Samezuka again?! _Why!_ She wanted to bang her head into the metal pole beside her. _Why! Why does this keep happening?!_

By the look on his face as he walked up, Mikoshiba had not been expecting it either. “Uh, good morning.” His greeting lacked the exuberance he usually greeted them with. He glanced at Gou and Makoto in confusion.

“G-good morning,” Makoto managed to utter.

Gou felt like she couldn’t breathe. Maybe she would pass out. Maybe she would pass out and then she wouldn’t have to deal with this. Boy, that would be nice.

“I-I’m sure it’s coincidence,” said Makoto, that awkward smile on his face. “I mean it’s not unusual for our two schools to get paired up. I’m sure it’s because our schools are so close to each other back in Japan that they’re doing this.”

Mikoshiba just looked at him.

Gou worried her hands together. No, it would be fine. It _had_ to be fine. They had gotten through the museum and the aquarium without incident. This shouldn’t be any different. So long as they mostly ignored each other and stayed with their own swim teams everything would be fine! _Simple as that._

With a deep breath, Gou managed to calm herself. Yes, so long as they conducted themselves in the same manner they had been there shouldn’t be any reason to worry. Even if it was _infuriating_ that they kept getting paired together it was fine. Completely fine.

Their guides for the day were already calling for everyone’s attention. “Okay!” The woman clapped her hands together cheerfully. “Who is in charge of these two groups?”

Makoto and Mikoshiba’s hands went into the air immediately. Gou, with a bit of hesitation, slowly followed suit. She was the manager after all. If that didn’t put her in some sort of position where she was in charge she didn’t know what would.

The woman’s gaze raked over the three of them. “Excellent! We’ll have you three sit in the front of the first bus!” She pointed at Makoto. “You can be on the right side!” She pointed to Gou and Mikoshiba next. “And you two can be on the left!” The woman was positively beaming.

Gou’s mouth dropped. No. No. It couldn’t be. Why she had raised her hand?! She was so dumb! _Oh god._ She swayed on her feet and Mikoshiba’s hand shot out, grabbing her upper arm and holding her steady. He gaze the host a dazzling smile. “Alright, miss, understood!”

The woman moved on to the rest of the people there, assigning them seats. With the woman’s attention elsewhere, Mikoshiba’s smile faded, his face smoothing to a blank state that was a little unhappy. Next to him Makoto looked like he had gotten punched in the stomach again and even Nagisa’s mouth was sagging downwards.

Mikoshiba’s hand was still on her arm but Gou hardly noticed. She buried her face in her hands, the top -of her head coming to rest against Mikoshiba’s chest. She didn’t notice that either.

_This cannot possibly get any worse…_


	6. Schedule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clam hunting is messy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a crazy week (both good and HORRIBLE) and this chapter should be renamed to Uncooperative because that's what it was. It also turned out a lot longer than I expected so it took longer to get out. Plus I kept getting distracted by Tumblr and laughing and then slapping myself to stop laughing. What have I fallen into?

Again. It was happening again.It was like this was some sort of poorly planned manga or terribly written fanfiction. Or maybe a horror movie. Yes, definitely a horror movie.

Gou twisted in the uncomfortable seat, a scowl on her face. She was glad the hosts had sat her and Mikoshiba on the front most seat of the bus, leaving Rei and Nagisa behind them and the bus driver, who likely didn’t speak English, in front. Across the aisle from them was Makoto and Haru. And, miracle of all miracles, Rin had been placed on the second bus. He had been protesting about it as Gou had been entering of her own bus, though whether it was because Rin didn’t like the fact Gou and Mikoshiba had been paired together and wanted to watch Mikoshiba like a hawk to make sure he didn’t try anything or because he wanted to glare at Haru like a hawk and send out waves of silent challenge Gou wasn’t sure. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Regardless, the way they were seated provided the perfect set up for Gou and Mikoshiba to yell discreetly at each other. “ _Why_ does this keep happening?” she demanded of the boy sitting next to her. “Why do you keep getting paired with us?”

“How should I know,” he muttered the words out of the corner of his mouth, keeping himself facing straight ahead rather than facing her so no one would suspect anything. “You never told me you had this today.”

“You didn’t tell me either!” She took a deep breath. “What do you have tomorrow?”

There was a long moment of silence. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Gou blinked owlishly. “What do you mean you don’t know?! How could you not know?!”

“I don’t have the schedule with me! It’s back at the house.”

“You don’t have it _memorized_?!” Gou was struggling to keep her voice down.

 “Do you?” he shot back and her jaw clipped shut. Well…she had, but then the hosts had gone and changed the schedule on her, but if she told Mikoshiba that he would simply ignore that part and just point out that she too didn’t have it memorized. “Besides,” Mikoshiba continued. “I hardly saw you yesterday. You didn’t exactly give me a chance to tell you!”

“You could have texted it to me!”

“I didn’t know it was important!”

With a huff she made a big show of crossing her arms and facing towards the window. This was so annoying. It wasn’t Mikoshiba’s fault that their two swim teams kept getting paired together but she didn’t have anywhere else to direct her irritation.

“It isn’t that bad is it?” asked Mikoshiba and Gou looked up at him.

“What?”

He was still facing forward. He would not look at her. “Being paired together,” he said. “The swim teams I mean.”

She looked away herself. “You know why it’s bad…”

“Still.” He rubbed the back of his head. “We got through the museum and the aquarium without incident. Today shouldn’t be any different so long as we act normally.”

Gou took a deep breath. What he said was true, though that wasn’t the entire point. Being paired up and around each other in front of Rin gave her brother all the more dangerous opportunity to discover what had happened. If their swim teams weren’t paired up it would eliminate that threat completely. It would make things so much easier.

But…there was nothing she could do about it. She would just have to deal with things as they came to her. _All we need to do is act normal. That shouldn’t be too hard._

Behind her Nagisa suddenly rolled down the window and stuck his head out so he could shout enthusiastically at the seabirds. Rei scolded him, insisting sticking ones head out of a moving vehicles window was dangerous, and beside Gou Mikoshiba drew back at the sudden rush of wind, gold eyes slightly widened as he watched Rei try to drag the smaller teen back into the bus.

Gou took advantage of the distraction to look up at his face, listening to the antics of the two behind her with some amusement. They could do it. They could pull it off. With Mikoshiba she could. He was the sort who could do that sort of thing. He was the captain of the Samezuka swim team for God’s sake, that swimming powerhouse. And…well, he had been trying to make it comfortable for her. He had let her come into his home without protest and had done his best to accommodate her. She hadn’t exactly been making it easy for him, not that it was entirely her fault.

_It’s both our faults._ Just like her mother had said. “ _When you’re married you do everything by halves.”_

So in this case they each had half of the blame. How funny. Maybe her mother had been right.

Rei finally managed to pull Nagisa back into the bus, only to have Nagisa immediately turn and reach for his glasses, stating he needed them to see further, Rei loudly protesting his glasses were not binoculars.

Gou laughed into her hand.  Normal was certainly easier for some to pull off than others.

 

-

 

If there was one nice thing - _one -_ Gou could say about this country it was that they had fantastic beaches. It was a largely coastal country and their coast was lovely besides. The water was relatively clear and Gou could see the green that covered the bottom even from a distance.

The sand underneath her feet was pleasant, not too jagged or too hot. She dug her toes into it, enjoying the sensation of the warm particles against her flesh. Maybe she could forego the whole conch and clam hunting session and sun bathe all day. That’d be nice and relaxing. She could use some relaxation.

She had purposely moved away by herself so her brother wouldn’t get riled up. He hadn’t said anything but she had caught him looking her way, though her expression was one she was unable to tell. He hadn’t tried to punch Mikoshiba in the face yet at least.

To the side the host was prattling on about sea conch and how they thrived in relatively shallow water and seagrass habitats like this one. In the past the country’s ancestors had relied heavily on conch as well as other sealife for food. Today it was a fun pastime for tourists and children.

Tourists like them. Or maybe the host country categorized them as children. _Then again we are of the age where it’s legal for us to drink here._ In that case she hoped they didn’t categorize them as children.

They were divided into pairs and, of course, the way the pairs were decided was by who they had been sitting by on the bus. Gou could only roll her eyes about it. This was the sort of path her luck had been taking lately. She actually felt sorry for Mikoshiba rather than herself. He had gotten stuck with the only girl. _But the girl he’s stuck with is his wife._ A mental smack. _That_ was not thinking normally.

They gathered at the edge of the water, the swim teams spread all along the beach. At the head was the Iwatobi swim team and Gou was glad about that. Since Rin had been in the second bus he was further down. She couldn’t even see him and if he did look over he would hopefully think she was socializing with the Iwatobi boys.

“Conch are well know as marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae,” Rei was saying as they began throwing off their excess layers, even though Gou had no idea how _that_ was well known. “They’re second only to escargot in terms of popularity.”

“Escargot,” Haru said the foreign word slowly, as if chewing it. “What sort of popularity?”

“Edible snails,” said Rei and Gou’s face scrunched in disgust. Even Haru looked a little put off.

“That doesn’t help us catch them, Rei-chan,” Nagisa protested. “Tell us something useful.”

“I was getting to that.” Rei adjusted his glasses. He took a deep breath as if preparing for a speech. “They are often serviced as cerviche, consisting of raw conch marinated in lime juice, chopped onions, and habanero peppers. It is particularly popular in Panama’s Colon and Bocas del Toro provinces. In the Dominic Republic and Peru it is only commonly eaten in curries or spicy soups. Their shells are used as an important ritual object in Hinduism but can also be used as a musical instrument.”

He finished with a bright smile, very proud or happy with himself. There were a few seconds of silence.

“That wasn’t helpful at all,” Mikoshiba muttered and Gou turned away lest Rei see her choking down her laugh.

 “Rei-chan, that doesn’t help in the slightest.” Nagisa voiced the same concern.

Rei spluttered a response but Haru, seemingly tired of conversation, turned and moved off into the water without a word, leaving Makoto to follow after him and Nagisa to chase after the both of them.

Mikoshiba started forward but paused when Gou didn’t follow. “Coming?”

“A-ah, yes. Just a moment.” She waved a hand to indicate she was fine and after some blinking Mikoshiba turned back around to head into the water. Gou had been waiting for this, for the boys’ attentions to be elsewhere. She scanned the beach to make sure the other rampant amount of teenage boys weren’t paying her the least bit of mind. She thought she could see Rin with the boy Nitori further away although it was hard to tell. It appeared Rin was looking around, possibly for her or possibly for Haru, but he was looking out along the water and not at the beach where she currently stood.

Satisfied that nobody was looking her way, Gou shucked off her shirt. While she didn’t consider herself an exceptionally bashful person, wearing only a swimsuit around a bunch of boys and having them watch her strip down to it was not something she was ready to experience, especially when she was the only girl there. She left on her shorts, feeling more comfortable with that bit of additional coverage. She had worn them exactly for this reason.

There was a cold tinge to the water but nothing that made Gou want to scream and run out soon as she set foot in it.  The seagrass on the other hand…She didn’t like the feel of that. It was slightly slimy against her feet and she found herself grimacing as she moved through it. Gross.

Mikoshiba and her were rather restricted in how far into the water they could go out due to Gou’s height. Nagisa and Rei suffered from the same predicament but they had solved it…somewhat. Nagisa was clinging to Rei’s shoulder like a squirrel and faintly Gou could hear the taller teen complaining about it. _He’s only complaining because he likes it._

Makoto and Haru suffered no such issue. They had moved far enough out that Gou could barely hear their voices at all, much less their words. She was a bit jealous of them. And poor Mikoshiba. He was the tallest out of all of them and he was stuck to the shallows due to her. Still he didn’t complain at all. Gou thought about telling him he could go out further if he liked but decided against it. If he wanted to she was pretty sure he would just go ahead and do it. He didn’t seem like the type who would falter in his decisions once he made them.

She peered into the water. There was no sign of the big twisted shells of the conch. The seagrass was likely too thick to spot any from above. “What color are these things anyway?”

“Tan,” said Mikoshiba, who was peering into the water like her. “They blend in with the sand.” He held out the net the host had given each set of teams. “Here, hold this. I’m going down.”

“Going down?” Gou waded slowly over to take the net from him.

“Yeah.” Once Gou had taken the net he dove under and she peered down to watch him. She might not be able to see the conch amid the seagrass but she could easily see Mikoshiba as he moved about in the clear water. He scoured along the seafloor, his hands moving across the stalks like a lawnmower across a lawn, searching for the hidden shells. Gou’s eyes drifted to his muscled back, watching the play and ripples along his flesh, the way his shoulder blades worked. He couldn’t see where she was looking so she could get away it. I-it was only natural when presented with such a sight. Totally normal. _Anyone_ would have done it.

_Muscles are best seen in the flesh._

Then suddenly something latched onto her foot and she was nearly dunked backwards into the water. She hopped desperately on one leg to try and stay upright, laughing. “T-that’s my foot!”

Mikoshiba popped up beside her. He was so close that the water he disturbed with his ascent soaked her. He wiped the water from his eyes. “What did I just grab?”

Gou was still laughing. “My foot!” She thrust the net at him before he had a chance to respond. “Here, I want to try,” and she dove under.

They didn’t have much luck.  Even after a half hour had gone by they had nothing to show for their efforts. “Find anything?” asked Mikoshiba when Gou surfaced for the sixth time.

She shook her head. “No. Did you?”

“No.” He gestured further out in the water. “Nanase-kun found one though.”

“Haru?” She turned. Out in the deeper water Haru was standing, holding a conch shell disinterestedly in his hand while Makoto squawked excitedly about it, praising Haru for finding it. “Huh.” Gou almost couldn’t believe it. “He must be trying real hard.”

“Actually I think he just stepped on it.”

“…Oh.” She scowled. “Luck just seems to find some people.”

Mikoshiba chuckled. “No kidding.”

By the time they were finished another forty-five minutes later the only one who had managed to find any conch at all was Haru, who had found three.

“H-how is that even possible?” asked Gou, staring at the large three shells Makoto had placed on the sand.

“W-well, I guess Haru just has an eye for detail.” Makoto beamed with adoration at the dark haired teen but Haru’s face was turned away and he said nothing.

Makoto was probably right though. If Haru really didn’t have an eye for detail and the conch were just not _that_ easy for him to find he would have been complaining finding the conch was too much effort. That attention to detail was likely the same reason why his art was so incredible.

Nagisa had found something as well during their conch hunting and he held it proudly up for all to see. A rock. A brown rock. “But why,” asked Gou haltingly. “Why a rock?”

“To remind us of our time here!” cried Nagisa. He clutched the rock like it was a precious pet. “Right, Rei-chan?! Memories are an important thing!”

Rei’s face was somewhere between a scowl and a grimace. “I wouldn’t have minded so much if the rock were beautiful,” he mumbled.

The next part of this excursion, the clam hunting, was to be held further down the beach. The hosts lead them and as they walked Gou contemplated what the clam hunting was going to be like. A lot like the conch hunting most likely. A nice lovely swim in tepid water. She didn’t even mind if there was going to be more slimy seagrass. But what she got was not what she had expected at all.

Mud. All mud. Mud everywhere. Dark, turned up mud with pieces of seagrass and sticks in it. Gou’s lip twitched, eyes unnaturally large. _This_ was what they were supposed to be hunting clams in? It had to be some sort of weird joke or prank. They weren’t expected to crawl around in the _mud_ were they?

“We brought you all some nice boots to use for the mud!” said the host cheerily, holding up a pair of rubber things that Gou would have never referred to as boots. “We also have shovels for you to use!”

So not only did they have to roam around in the mud but they had to _dig_ in it as well? Gou’s face sagged. Terrible. This was terrible. Absolutely terrible. Can we go back to hunting conch she wanted to ask, but didn’t want to make a scene either.

And the boots. Boots was an understatement. The ‘boots’ were big rubber things that came up to past their knees. They were super clunky and uncomfortable. Everyone looked absolutely ridiculous in them, except for Makoto, who managed to pull off wearing the huge things with a certain finesse that made them look a little less ridiculous.

“The clams are buried under the mud!” said the host. She clapped her hands. “Have fun!”

“Fun,” muttered Gou. How this could possibly be fun was beyond her. She hadn’t enjoyed playing in the mud since she was a child. Rin and her had had some epic mud adventures. Thinking of her brother, she looked for him, spotting him further down but he didn’t look any more excited to be diving into their old play pastime than she did.

Experimentally she pushed her rubber boot into the mud. It stuck like glue and with a bit of heaving she managed to extract her foot. _This is more like quick sand than mud._ With her small stature this was not going to be easy.

“Let me go first.”

“Huh?” She blinked up to find Mikoshiba watching her.

“Let me go first and then walk behind me.” He gestured at the mud. “You can walk in the impressions I make. It’ll be easier that way.”

It took her a moment and then she understood. “Ohhhh.” Being much bigger and stronger than she, it would be easier for him to go first and for her to walk in his imprints than for her to try and make her own way through that icky mud. She’d likely only get stuck if she tried to go in by herself. “Okay.”

Mikoshiba went in first and with him Nagisa. And somehow Nagisa…Nagisa was able to _run_ through the mud with little to no difficulty. He hardly stumbled and his feet didn’t seem to sink in at all. _How_ he did it was a complete mystery. Even the others looked shocked. _He’s making it look way too easy._

Mikoshiba had to take it much more slowly. Carefully he lifted his feet, sometimes leaning precariously, and wobbling as he extracted one foot and then the other, but he remained upright and wasn’t doing too bad considering. He even used the shovel as a make shift walking stick for leverage.

Gou watched his path carefully and once he was a few yards in she started forward. Despite using Mikoshiba’s imbedded footprints the going was slow and the mud still sucked at her shoes. She lurched and wobbled, arms spread wide to try and balance herself. She was incredibly grateful she had his impressions to stand in. If she had tried walking in without them she would have gotten stuck in no time flat.

“Rei-chan!” Nagisa called out. The blond had stopped quite a few yards ahead of even Mikoshiba and was waving energetically. “Come on!”

Rei grimacing  but seemed unable to deny Nagisa. With a great deal of amount of care he stepped into the mud. “T-this looks very precarious.” He took another step forward and for someone whose movements were normally so suave, Rei was anything but that right now. He tottered like a newborn giraffe. His arms pinwheeled and he wavered from one side to the other in an effort to keep his balance. “This is not stable in the least!” He went sprawling a moment later and his entire front smacked into the mud with a sharp wet slapping sound.

Gou couldn’t completely muffle the laugh that arose. She raised her hands to her mouth in an effort to stifle it.

“T-this is not beautiful!” Rei floundered like a beached sea cow as he struggled to lift himself up. His glasses were askew and the mud made loud sucking noises as, with an enormous amount of effort, he pulled his arm out.

“Rei-chan!” Nagisa raced over to try and help his struggling friend. Yet halfway there he got his own foot stuck and fell forward straight into the mud just like Rei, causing the other teen to get sprayed with the brown muck.

Gou burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she forgot to maintain her balance and instantly stumbled. Her left foot landed outside of Mikoshiba’s impression and with she fell backwards onto her behind. She leaned back on her arms, laughing too hard to do anything about it.

Mikoshiba immediately turned and came back towards her. “Are you alright?”

She waved her hand back in response. “I-I’m fine,” she choked out from around her laughter. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes. Mikoshiba moved further towards her as if he were coming to help but suddenly drew up short a few feet away. A moment later she saw why. Further down the beach Rin was watching them, a scowl on his face. If he was scowling at the antics of the two boys rolling about in the mud or about Mikoshiba who knew. Regardless, Mikoshiba was keeping his distance just in case.

Makoto and Haru were still on the beach out of the mud. The two had linked their hands together and were currently trying to stretch out and reach Rei. Rei reached back and snagged Makoto’s hand. It was a poorly thought out plan however. Makoto was heavier than Haru and Haru was the one acting as anchor. As Makoto tried to pull Rei out, Rei pulled back and within an instance Makoto lost his balance and went catapulting straight into the mud, pulling the smaller and lighter Haru right in after him. The three boys landed in the mud atop each other, a tangled heap of arms, legs, and swimsuit.

Gou’s laughter became too much. She fell back and then instantly straightened as if burned. “Oh god!” she cried. “It’s in my hair!”

Nagisa had somehow managed to excavate himself. With the shovel in hand he circled around Rei. “I’ll dig you out, Rei-chan!”

Rei leaned as far away as he could, as if the shovel were some sort of dangerous weapon. “T-that’s not what that shovel is for!”

Behind Rei Makoto straggled to his hands and knees. He held there, looking back and forth as if seeking some sort of rescue. Haru had rolled off him and he sat in the mud next to him, mouth partly open and looking unsure as to what he should do next as well.

Down the entire beach everyone was pretty much experiencing the same dilemma. Teen boys were floundering helplessly in the mud or fighting to escape and crawl back to the shore. Some, like Gou, were laughing too hard to try and help their comrades or even themselves in the least.

The host was yelling earnestly to them but Gou couldn’t hear from this distance. She sighed and flopped backwards into the mud, a stray chuckle escaping her mouth. _So much for clam hunting._

__-

 

They were able to shower off a bit before heading back. If it was for their own benefit or the hosts Gou couldn’t say. It would surely be unpleasant for them to have to ride in the bus covered in mud but having to clean up after such a thing might be worse. It would probably be easier to just set the bus on fire in that case. Gou was tempted to fall to her knees and praise the heavens at seeing the showers. Praise the genius had thought to place them here. Even though the water was _freezing cold_ after the first two or three people used them. Gou was willing to endure the chill in order to feel somewhat clean again.

After the quick rinse off, they waited by the bus for the others to finish. The host was wrapping up the day, telling them they could keep any conch they had found. She strongly encouraged them to try cooking and eating them, describing them as a delicacy.

“Aren’t they edible snails?” asked Haru suspiciously and Makoto chuckled.

“I’m pretty sure edible snails _are_ considered a delicacy, but I bet there’s some mackerel that you can have instead.”  He ran his hand through his wet hair. “I wouldn’t mind trying the conch though. It could be an interesting experience. Rei sounds like he knows some recipes we could use.”

“I want to try some too!” Nagisa exclaimed. “One of the best things about coming to a foreign country is trying the local delicaces! We should definitely do it!” A strange gleam entered his eye and he looked back at Mikoshiba leaning against the bus. “Captain Mikoshiba should join us too.”

Gou stumbled and nearly smacked her head into the side of the bus. W-what was Nagisa doing?! Hastily she looked about herself. Thankfully her brother wasn’t nearby. He stood at the back of the line waiting to get on the second bus and was far enough away that he couldn’t hear them.

“N-now, Nagisa,” said Makoto. Was the moisture on his face from the shower or sweat? “We shouldn’t impose on Captain Mikoshiba. I-I’m sure he has other engagements with his own swim team.”

“Actually.” Mikoshiba rubbed his chin, a broad smile that was a tad mischievous splitting his face. “That sounds great. I’d be happy to join you guys.”

Gou’s mouth fell open. She could feel the blood rushing to her face. She couldn’t think of anything to say, her brain having apparently stalled out. 

Makoto looked to be in the same condition as she but Nagisa was delighted. “Great! Let’s make _lots_ of conch together!” He paused and looked at Gou. “Conch is something we can have right, Gou-chan? Conch doesn’t have trans fat or hydrogenated oils does it?”

Gou froze, her jaw snapping shut. Her face was still red but this time for a different reason. She had never told Mikoshiba about practically stealing his diet to bolster her own team’s performance and she was painfully aware of his presence next to her, could feel his eyes on her. “A-ah, yes,” she coughed. She pretended to be very interested in some nearby trees.

“Perfect!” Nagisa rubbed his hands together. “I can’t wait to try it! I bet it will be delicious! Rei-chan can do most of it.”

Rei straightened. “D-don’t just volunteer me! Why do I have to do most of it?”

“Because you’re Rei-chan.”

“That isn’t a real reason!”

As the two commenced their bickering, Gou peeked discreetly up through her wet bangs at Mikoshiba. His face had smoothed out and he was listening to Nagisa and Rei with mild amusement. What was he thinking accepting Nagisa’s invitation? Had he felt obligated to because he thought it would be impolite for him to refuse? Or did he legitimately want to spend time with the Iwatobi boys? They had never socialized or interacted much in the past, but when they did they always got along well it seemed. Maybe Mikoshiba did want to get to know them better. That made sense.

Gou wasn’t even sure of her own feelings regarding the situation. On one hand she felt almost nervous, a feeling she couldn’t explain why.  On the other she was okay with it. Him becoming closer to the Iwatobi boys was a good thing. They should be friends.

The host ushered them onto the bus and while the journey back was quiet, it was not uncomfortable.

 

-

 

Gou perched on the bar counter in the kitchen, pawing through a swimming magazine in front of her. It was one of Goro’s magazines. She wasn’t sure which boy had swiped it from the coach and she wasn’t about to go around asking questions. The magazine wasn’t as dirty as she had first thought, although there were plenty of young pretty girls posing in skimpy swimsuits throughout its pages. She sniffed and adjusted the towel wrapped around her head like a turban. The first thing she had done upon entering the Iwatobi lodges was a shower. Even if she had rinsed off earlier there had still been flecks of mud on her scalp and her poor hair a ragged mess. She felt much more comfortable and sanitary once stepping out of the shower.

In front of her Makoto and Nagisa were bustling about the kitchen, getting things ready for their meal and making tea. Haru was busy in the shower and likely would be for a long time. He took longer showers than anyone Gou had ever met. But it was Haru. She should have expected that.

Rei and Mikoshiba were absent from the lodge, having gone food shopping. Rei was the only who knew what ingredients they needed, and surprisingly Mikoshiba had been the one to volunteer to go along and help carry the groceries back, which Rei had accepted graciously. That action had made Gou curious once again about the two’s relationship. The two seemed very comfortable in each other’s presence and Mikoshiba did call Rei by his first name unlike the other Iwatobi boys, whose last name’s he used instead. She didn’t understand it at all.

“Gou-chan.”

Gou looked up from the magazine page advertising protein shakes with a picture of a guy whose muscles were the size of two Pepsi liter bottles stacked a top each other to find Makoto in front of her. She blinked at his expression. “Something wrong?”

 “Are you really alright having Mikoshiba here?” he asked without hesitation. “If you aren’t you should say so…”

Ah, so that’s what he was concerned about it. She should have known.

Nagisa leaned over into the two’s conversation before she got a chance to answer. “Inviting Mikoshiba was the polite thing to do! He was helping Gou-chan all day-” She blushed. “And he’s going to be around a lot anyway, right?” He looked pointedly at each of them in turn. “If that is the case we should get to know him. There’s no reason to hold him at a distance! As the captain of Rin-chan’s swim team we should be friends with him regardless!” He slammed his hands down on the counter.

Both Gou and Makoto were a bit taken aback by Nagisa’s sudden intensity regarding the subject. That was how Nagisa was though. He wanted to be friends with everyone. He did raise some very valid points however.

“I understand that, Nagisa,” said Makoto. “It’s just that…” He trailed off but the look he gave Gou said it all. Becoming friends with Mikoshiba would be ideal but insuring Gou was comfortable with the situation was a higher priority. If she wasn’t there was no doubt in Gou’s mind that Makoto would figure out some way to call the whole thing off.

She smiled a little. _So much like an older brother._

“Its fine,” she said. “Really.”

Makoto watched her intently a moment, reading her reaction to make sure it was legit, which made her giggle, then he smiled. “Okay.”

They invited Goro and Amakata to join them, an offer that was eagerly accepted once Gou saw what they were eating. “Pizza.” She stared at the round food in the square box like it was a dead rat.

“Don’t scold me!” protested Goro. He picked up a slice and stuffed it into his mouth. “I’m not competing; I can eat whatever I want.”

“If the teacher isn’t following the rules,” demanded Gou, “then why should the students?!” She whirled about. “Where’s a trash can?!”

“I’m eating it over here on purpose!” said Goro between gnashing. “They won’t see it over here! They won’t have any idea about it at all!”

“You’re setting a bad example!”

“No, I’m not, pizza is a delicious commodity!”

Gou ground her teeth together but unfortunately there was nothing she could do about it. Goro was an adult so she couldn’t exactly demand he follow what she said. So long as none of the Iwatobi boys stopped over unexpectedly they wouldn’t know about Goro’s dark little secret and hopefully it would stay that way. Otherwise Nagisa and Goro would likely be fighting over the greasy thing like a pack of hyenas over a zebra’s corpse.

She informed both adults that Mikoshiba would be joining them, news that made both adults glance at each other warily. “I-it’s not like that,” said Gou, shuffling her feet. “Nagisa was the one who invited him, not me!”

 That didn’t stop the atmosphere from becoming slightly awkward when Mikoshiba and Rei returned from their grocery shopping however. Goro had his arms crossed over his chest and an expression that looked almost affronteded. Whether that was because Mikoshiba was from a different swim team and they were fraternizing with the enemy or due to the marriage Gou wasn’t certain. _Probably both._

Amakata on the other hand was the exact opposite. She was extremely warm and friendly upon meeting Mikoshiba – _A little_ too _warm and friendly_ – and shot Gou a sly smile when Mikoshiba wasn’t looking. Gou could only ponder what that smile meant but it made her blush regardless.

There were vegetables that had to be cut and the conch meat retrieved from their shells. Amakata and Gou volunteered for the vegetables, giving the task of extracting the conch from its shell to the boys. iIt was a bit ridiculous how excited they became at the problem presented to them. The six of them descended into caveman mode to extract the conch meat, smacking the shell against various objects, each of them throwing out suggestions and talking loudly, turning the conch over and around in their hands like the shells were hard math problems to solve.  After a few minutes they departed to go outside, Rei declaring they needed additional tools to help them.

_And that’s how man invented tools_ , thought Gou, watching them with a bit of amusement. _A man will think of anything to fill his stomach._

Once the boys had left the room, Amakata leaned over. “Is it weird having Mikoshiba here?”

Gou shook her head, her gaze remaining of the chili pepper she was slicing. “No. It’s fine. Nagisa was the one who invited him. I think they want to become closer to him.”

“Hmmm.” Amakata raised a finger to her smiling lips. Her eyes were unusually bright and crinkled at the corners.

“W-what’s that look for?”

“Nothing, nothing!” Amakata leaned back in her seat to peer at the boys through the window. They had set the conch down on a table outside and were holding various tools above it. For some insane reason Nagisa had a hammer, which he was waving rather precariously, and Goro had what looked to be a saw. Gou made a mental note to stay as far away from there as possible. Faintly she could see Mikoshiba’s form on the left. He was easy to spot, she just had to look for the tallest person.

“He’s very cute,” commented Amakata and Gou nearly sliced a finger off.

“Am-ama-chan!” _Inappropriate!_

It took the boys a while to extract the conch meat and there was some dubious banging and clunking noises throughout the process, but they had managed it in the end. Once extracted, the meat needed to be trimmed. It was Haru, so used to gutting mackerel, who took over the task. Through the window Gou could see him standing there, covered in an apron and a large butcher knife in his hand. His hand descended and he set to the supposed butchering, and an instant later Makoto came racing into the lodge. He was blue in the face and shaking like he were about to be sick. He declared to the two ladies he needed to use the restroom and took off towards it with one hand over his mouth and the other running along the wall of the hallway as if needing it for balance.

Rei soaked the meat in lime juice with the vegetables Gou and Amakata had cut up. “I have decided to go with a spicy conch chowder recipe,” he declared. “Frying would have been a lot easier,” he mumbled, “but as I understand we are not supposed to have that.”

“That’s right!” Gou imposed. “Frying has trans fat and hydrogenated oils!”

Rei frowned. “Do you even know what those mean?” he asked her. “Or _are_ for that matter?”

She didn’t but she wasn’t about to tell _him_ that. She had to at least pretend she knew what she was doing.

Gou assisted him and Amakata in their cooking by handing them ingredients when they called for them, however once the two really got going Gou was excluded from their cooking frenzy. Rei was not a huge cook but he did like showing off his intelligence, and Amakata was eager to learn a new recipe. Gou became like a fifth wheel, utterly useless and in the way. After a few minutes of standing there without either of them acknowledging her existence, she decided she was no longer needed and went outside.

She was quite surprised to find Goro and Mikoshiba talking animatedly to each other. The two were standing next to each other and their body language was relaxed, completely at ease. Goro’s attitude towards Mikoshiba had certainly changed drastically since Mikoshiba had first arrived. He even had a beer – _Where did he get that?! –_ and they were conversing energetically about swimming. Well they did have quite a bit in common, both being coaches in their own way. They _would_ hit it off talking about something like that.

“Gou-chan!” Nagisa cried and, hearing her name, Mikoshiba glanced her way but only briefly before returning to his conversation with Goro. “Is the food ready yet?”

Gou had no idea but she didn’t want Nagisa to go in there and pester Amakata and Rei with questions. “It will be soon,” she said instead. “So relax. It’ll be out soon.” The only seating out there was the picnic table where they had been smacking the conch and she moved to sit down at it only to pull up short, grimacing. Pieces of conch shell were scattered all across it. Remnants of the war the boys had fought. A lone survivor remained, one shell that was relatively unscathed.

 Brushing aside the shell pieces, Gou took a seat close towards the middle of the bench. Within moments of her sitting Mikoshiba sat down on Gou’s left side. He barely glanced her way nor did he break off his conversation with Goro as he took his seat, as though it were the most natural thing in the world for him to sit there next to her. Gou tilted her head inquisitively his way but he was too engrossed in his conversation to pay her much mind. He had given her enough space that she didn’t feel the need to scoot away so she let the matter go. He could sit wherever he liked.

Goro and Nagisa followed his example, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. Makoto and Haru were unexplainably absent. Had Makoto ever come out of the bathroom? She couldn’t remember. _Maybe Haru joined him in there and that’s why he hasn’t come out._

“In terms of speed six beat kicking is the way,” Mikoshiba was saying to Goro. “The two beat kicking trends are related more to high tempo freestyles, and to endure the large training volume of the 70’s and 80’s. The current trend today is the six beat kick. That way you use your legs from start to finish.”

“That’s not completely true. There have been – and still are – successful distance swimmers that use a two beat or four beat kick,” Goro held his beer by the top of the can and pointed a finger at Mikoshiba with the hand that held it. “After all many swimmers don’t maintain a consistent kick when they breathe. You have to take into account that technique flaw.” He took a swig of his beer. “The kick just needs to be steady anyway.”

“Exactly, steady but you’ll also want it to be fast,” Mikoshiba replied. “You shouldn’t be afraid of expending energy, there’s no reason to conserve it. If you try and save the legs you’ll land up in last place.”

Gou had no idea what they were talking. Swimming, obviously, but that sort of technical stuff was way over her head. Disregarding their conversation, Gou returned her attention to the conch shell. There was a small hole at the top of it but outside of that it was undamaged. The cavemen had progressively learned how to better remove the meat from the shell it had seemed. This must have been the last one they had done. Gou turned it over in her hands. She liked the shell. It was pretty. White and tan with pink on the inside. It reminded her of the pearl ring on her finger a bit.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mikoshiba lean back against the wall behind them, his arms loosely crossed over his stomch. His face turned towards her. “If you hold it up to your ear it’ll sound like the ocean,” he said.

She looked up at him. “Huh?”

Across the table from them Goro was currently engaged in some sort of debate with Nagisa, leaving Mikoshiba free of their conversation for the moment.

“The open part.” Mikoshiba twisted the shell in her hand so the open area faced her. “If you put that to your ear it sounds like the ocean.”

Gou’s face scrunched. How could this shell sound like the ocean? It was beautiful but there was no way something this tiny could make the same sound the ocean did. The ocean was _huge_.

“Try it,” Mikoshiba encouraged her and, hesitantly, she did so. Her eyes widened. The ocean! She could hear it! Her mouth worked to try and form words. Faint but there, like a tiny god had somehow placed a tiny ocean into the shell. “H-how is that possible?”

Mikoshiba was grinning. “I’m not sure what causes them to do that it honestly. When I was young we took a trip to the Caribbean, that’s where I learned about it. I don’t remember the explanation for it though.”

Gou took the shell away from her ear then put it back. She could still hear the ocean sounds. She stared at the shell. _I am so keeping this._ Maybe she could put it by her bed and listen to it before she fell asleep. _Well…Mikoshiba’s bed actually._

Haru and Makoto emerged from the house. Makoto looked a little worse for wear but he was moving about at least.

“My goodness,” said Mikoshiba. “You didn’t get _that_ sick from seeing the conch did you? There wasn’t even hardly any blood.”

Makoto made a strange choked sound. “I don’t like seeing that kind of stuff.”

“But you’re about to eat it, Mako-chan!” Nagisa pointed out.

Makoto closed his eyes and placed his head in his hands. “Don’t remind him,” said Haru.

“Those poor animals,” muttered Makoto.

Goro slapped a hand against his upper arm. “We’ll need to toughen you up!” he declared. “When we get back to Japan I’ll take you out on my squid boat and we can hunt sharks one day!”

“Please no,” said Makoto, and Mikoshiba commented, “I’m pretty sure shark hunting is illegal.”

“Oh, is it?” Goro shook his head like he were clearing away flies. “I didn’t know that.”

Gou watched him take another swig of his beer with narrowed eyes. How many beers had he had exactly? She had only seen him with the one but who knew how many he had before she came outside. She shook her head slightly. Alcohol was a dangerous thing. If he ended up getting wasted and then ran off and got married she wasn’t sure whether she would laugh or bang her head into a wall.

Rei came out and proudly announced that the food was ready. Amakata even served it herself, insisting that the others stay where they were. They ate around the picnic table outside, the eight of them squished together on a table designed for six. Gou found herself between Mikoshiba and Amakata. She was so close to either of them if she extended her elbow too far she would bump into them. After a moment of panicked blushing she got her heart rate under control and made herself focus on her food. Mikoshiba had _chosen_ to sit next to her anyway. It was his fault.

They talked pleasantly as they ate. Mikoshiba conversed with the Iwatobi team easily and seamlessly, and Gou was a bit surprised how naturally he seemed to fit in. The boys chatted with him like he was an old friend and Goro seemed to be developing a slight case of hero worship. It was nice to see but bittersweet as well. Someone else used to be a part of this group. Someone  else used to sit and converse with them just like Mikoshiba was doing this very instant.

_My brother should be here._ To this day Gou still remembered the look of joy she had seen on her brother’s face when he had won the relay with the very same people that sat at this table now. It had been the happiest she had seen her brother since their father had died. _So why?_ _Why isn’t he here with them?_ Mikoshiba was laughing at something Nagisa had said. Gou watched the amusement light up his face. _Why isn’t brother here like Mikoshiba is?_

But like many things that had to do with her brother, Gou didn’t have the answer.

 

-

 

It was late by the time they began to head to his place. Eating dinner had taken a while. Nobody had seemed to want to end the conversations and it had only ended when Amakata finally decreed she was going to bed. The teens and Goro had done a quick clean up after that and then it was Gou who suggested they head back.

She took the shell with her. The boys didn’t seem to have any interest in it and she enjoyed it not only for its color but the ocean sounds it made. She doubted they would even notice it was missing.

 “Thanks for the meal,” said Mikoshiba from the steps before departing. “It was a pleasure.”

“Thanks for coming, Captain Mikoshiba!” Nagisa’s arm was waving wildly in the air. “Come back anytime!”

“Yes, this was very pleasant,” Rei added. “Please feel free to come whenever you like.”

“Absolutely,” put in Goro, swirling his beer and looking a little glassy eyed.

Gou couldn’t believe it. Did they really like Mikoshiba so much already?

As she started down the sidewalk, she heard Goro talking to the Iwatobi boys from behind her. “I like him!” the coach decreed and Gou could only include that indeed they did like Mikoshiba so much already.

They walked side by side in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the quiet sounds of the night and the waves from the distant shore. It was a pleasant night and a pleasant atmosphere. So much different than what it had been this morning. Funny how much could happen and change in a day. Then again it had only taken one night of drunken stupidity to change her life completely. That was just the way life is Gou supposed. Anything could change in just one day.

“You like that shell, huh?”

Gou blinked up. Mikoshiba was studying the shell in her hands. “Oh, yes,” she said. “I like the sounds it makes. And it reminds me of the ring I got for my mother.” She held up her hand to show him the ring.

“That’s a pearl, isn’t it?”

She nodded.

“It’s funny you should say that,” he remarked. “Conch can actually have pearls in them.”

“Oh really?” That was interesting. Maybe the pearl in her ring had come from the very conch she held in her hand. And now it was…dead and they had eaten it. Gou found she didn’t really like the direction that train of thought was going in.

“Those boys,” said Mikoshiba suddenly. He rubbed his chin, a bit of a smirk on his face. “They seem to be following a very familiar diet.”

Gou made a sound like a cat being trodden on. He had noticed! And he hadn’t said anything about it until now. “A-ah yes. Ummm.” She looked away. “S-sorry about that. I…I should have asked or said something about it.” For some reason she felt bad. Like she had betrayed him or done something sneaky behind his back. _Which I…kind of did._

Mikoshiba chuckled and she whirled to look at him again. “It’s fine,” he said. “Plenty of other swimmers follow that diet anyway. It’s a diet they _should_ be following to begin with.” He paused. The amusement fell off his face and into a blank mask. “If you do have any questions or need advice though,” he continued. “Just ask.”

Gou stared at him. He wouldn’t turn her way and was keeping his gaze steadily facing forward. Still, she smiled.

“Thank you.”

 

-

 

Two papers were laid out before her. Gou stared at them intensely, her gaze roving over the squares populating both sheets. On her right was Samezuka’s schedule and on her left was the Iwatobi’s new one. After a moment her eyebrows lowered. _Those…_

She thought up a few colorful curses for their hosts. Ever since this morning she had had a suspicion about it and now she had it confirmed.

“How’s it look?” Mikoshiba approached her where she sat at the kitchen table, patting himself dry after having finally taken a shower.

“They match.” She held the papers up for him to read.

“Completely?”

“Almost, but not entirely.” Gou lowered the papers with a frown. “Our swimming days are still different, but all the other events are the exact same.”

“So Samezuka and Iwatobi are paired up for all events the hosts are throwing for us, is that it?”

“That’s right.” Gou sighed. It was a pain for sure, but surprisingly it wasn’t freaking her out too much. They had gotten through all those others day, today included, without incident. So long as Mikoshiba and her acted normal there wasn’t any reason for her brother to suspect something else was going on below the surface. Besides, Aater what had happened today she felt substantially more comfortable about the situation than she had previously.

“I’m going to head to bed.” Mikoshiba’s upper face was hidden by the towel as he rubbed his hair dry. “I have to get up early.”

“Early?”

“Yeah. I have a meeting.”

“Oh. Here?”

He nodded.

Gou pursed her lips. “Do I need to uhhh gooooo somewhere?” She wouldn’t want one of the Samezuka team members to know she was here if she could help it. The less people knew the better, especially those who were in close contact with Rin on a daily basis.

“No, it’s fine, trust me. You don’t need to leave.” He yawned. “You should head to bed too. It’s late.”

He headed towards the couch and Gou turned back to replace the Samezuka’s schedule to the tack board. She sat there a moment, looking at the lone paper hanging there and the other paper that still remained in her hand.

Shrugging, she tacked the Iwatobi schedule next to the Samezuka one. Not that it really mattered, they were the exact same. She would just need to look at one to know what both teams were doing. Regardless she left it there anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is turning out way longer than I anticipated and I'm running into a bit of a snag because three months was a horrible idea! I should have done nine weeks! Oh god. I'll figure out something...probably...maybe. Or otherwise I'll just go to Plan B: Rocks fall and everyone dies. Yeah.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos! You guys make my work day so much more bearable, seriously!


	7. Knowledge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gou learns a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had family visiting the last week so my free time has been pretty much nil and I haven't been getting much sleep. I was supposed to be catching up on sleep last night but I wrote this instead. Sleep when you're dead right? (YOLO!)

The next morning there were voices. Voices from down the hallway in the living room that woke Gou up. She groaned. _It’s too early._ Pulling the blanket over her head in an effort to drown out the noise proved ineffective. She even tried using the pillow to no avail. There was no blocking out the noise unless she closed the door.

The door. She had left it open last night. Actually now that she thought about it the only time she had closed it was when she was changing. It was a bit insane she had never thought to close the door considering there was a boy sleeping in the very next room from her. _That’s because I’m clearly losing my mind._

Gou tore the pillow off her head. The voices down the hall were energetic and awfully immersed in whatever they were talking about. It had to be Mikoshiba’s meeting, the one he had mentioned to her briefly last night. Gou rubbed an eye. Did they have to have it so early?She looked at the clock. Okay, it wasn’t _that_ early but still, she wanted to sleep. She liked sleeping in this bed.

Her eyes widened a bit at that thought. It was the bed, just the bed! It was nice and big and comfortable. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was _Mikoshiba’s_ bed.

Although she didn’t mind the fact that Mikoshiba had failed to change the sheets from when he had slept in the bed the night before last, that night when she had been too tired to head back here and had stayed at the Iwatobi lodges instead. His scent lingered on the linen. She had recognized it when she had first lain down last night. That smell of sun and wind she recognized.

Gou scrambled out of the bed as if it had suddenly turned into lava. She stared at it like it were a venus fly trap she had nearly fallen into. _Maybe I really am losing my mind._

Taking a deep breath, Gou directed her attention to the voices filtering down the hallway. There were definitely two. And for some reason they both sounded familiar. Mikoshiba’s voice she recognized easily. It was hard to mistake a voice like his own. But the other she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Mikoshiba hadn’t specified last night who it was coming over.

For a moment she wondered if she should stay in the bedroom. If she went out into the living room – walking out from none other than the _bedroom_ no less – the other person would surely be astounded at seeing a girl waltzing around and would want to know what she was doing there. But Mikoshiba had said last night that it was fine for her to be here while he was having his meeting. Did that mean it was okay for her to go out there and strut around her presence? Maybe he had simply meant he wasn’t going to kick her out when he had people come over because that would be impolite but that she should stay hidden if she could help it? Then again that sounded like something he would have told her to do if it was needed. Or did he not care if his swim team members found out?  Outside of Rin he had never explicitly indicated he was trying to not tell anyone else. Had he told anyone else? She didn’t think so but she had never questioned him about it.

Gou shook her head. She was thinking about this way too much.

From down the hall she heard Mikoshiba and the other person speaking. Two of the words gave her pause. Butterfly stroke. Her eyes narrowed. _There’s only one person I know of who would be discussing_ that _._

 She made her way into the living room. She stepped into the entryway and instantly froze. “You have got to be kidding me…”

Mikoshiba was sitting on the couch. The pillows had been pushed aside into the corner and the sheets underneath a wrinkled mess. And next to him was none other than Rei.

The meeting. Gou couldn’t believe it. _This_ was the person Mikoshiba was meeting with? Well it explainsed why Mikoshiba wasn’t concerned about Gou being here during it.

“Good morning, Gou-san,” said Rei.

Gou was having a hard time forming a response. The coffee table was currently covered in papers, charts and stacks of books. Charts that depicted a human diving and swimming. Arrows pointed to various parts of the drawn human with little descriptions that Gou was unable to read. On top of the stacks of books sat the title ‘Human Kinetics: Swimming Successfully’.

_Rei’s stuff. This is definitely Rei’s stuff._

 “Umm…What exactly…what exactly are you two doing?”

“Well, that’s an interesting story.” Rei leaned back and pushed his glasses further onto his noses, as if preparing for a speech. “When I came here to arrange the meeting between Captain Mikoshiba and yourself, the two of us got to talking.” He clasped his hands. “I am still a new swimmer. Memorizing formulas is one thing but nothing can quite compare to the extended experience of a full fledged athlete or the teachings of one who has taught.”

Gou stared at him for a long moment but nothing further was forthcoming. “So…?”

“So I asked for Captain Mikoshiba’s assistance regarding my technique,” said Rei. “He agreed to oblige my request.”

“O-oh.” She frowned. She hadn’t heard about any of this before. Surely one of the other boys would have mentioned it if they knew. Which meant…“The others don’t know you’re here do they?”

Rei shook his head. “Knowing them they would only insist on coming themselves. I wish to use this time to focus on myself and indulge my own knowledge. With them here I feel that may be hampered.”

“How were you possibly able to deter Nagisa from coming?” Gou knew to ask the important questions.

“I told him I was going to the library.”

That _would_ deter Nagisa. He would likely find the library too boring to want to tag along.

Gou picked up one of the drawings littered across the table. It depicted a swimmer performing the butterfly stroke, with little notes that described how best to hold ones arms and legs. Rei sure was being serious about improving, wasn’t he? He had even gone so far as to ask Mikoshiba, the captain of _another_ swim team, to help him. Fraternizing with the enemy indeed. _He was doing it before I even was!_

That also explained why Mikoshiba had been using Rei’s first name these last few days. The two likely felt quite a bit closer after Rei had asked the older male for assistance.

“There’s some coffee in the kitchen if you want some,” Mikoshiba offered.

Gou grimaced. She hated coffee.

“Shell we continue?” asked Rei and Mikoshiba nodded. The two leaned over a book together like old classmates. It was…kind of cute. Gou perched on the arm of the couch to listen to them, a bit curious as to what they were discussing.

“I am finding that during the release of the arm stroke is when I lose the most speed and time,” said Rei. “The upsweep phase seems to also be a struggle.”

“The release is easy,” Mikoshiba insisted. “You’re likely creating too much drag. What order are you leaving the water for that stroke phase?”

“Shoulders, elbows, forearms, hands.”

“How are you positioning your hands?”

Rei demonstrated and Mikoshiba moved his hand around Rei’s in a circular fashion. “Lead with the pinkie first and your palms facing inward. That creates the least amount of drag. And the upsweep. Are you fully extending your arms?”

“I do not believe so but perhaps.”

“Then you’re pushing water upwards instead of backwards. You’ll want to stop the upsweep stroke before your arms are fully extended. How’s your dolphin kick?”

“I am still perfecting it but I believe I have the technique down. So long as I have the body undulation mastered the dolphin kick and arm stroke should fall in naturally I read.”

“Maybe you’re focusing too much on making sure your body undulation is perfect and that’s causing you to falter in the arm stroke.”

Gou’s eyes were crossed. Like last night when Mikoshiba had been talking to Goro she had no idea what was being said. _It’s like another language._ One that was incredibly boring. She found her eyelids drooping as the two continued their discussion. Once Mikoshiba started talking about something called finger paddles Gou decided it was time for her to find something to do with herself than listen to them talk about their swimming infatuations.

First stop was getting dressed, something she had once again forgotten to do before emerging from the bedroom. She took a quick shower and with that finished she set her mind on fulfilling the task she had failed to do since moving to Mikoshiba’s house.

Unpacking.

Outside of the one piece of luggage she had done the other day, everything still sat in the living room in the pile where Mikoshiba had deposited them. She had been either too busy or not motivated enough to finish. Now was the perfect time. Mikoshiba was preoccupied with Rei and she had nothing else to do. Plus it needed to be done. Surviving off the clothes from one bag alone would not do at all.

It was only until she got closer that she realized what a daunting task that was going to be. Some of the bags were almost as big as Gou herself. Maybe she _had_ packed too much.

But she had needed this stuff! Just in case. You never knew when you were going to need those pair of high heels or that skirt or that hat that matched with that specific skirt or tights to go underneath her dresses or shoes or sandals depending on the situation or a sweater in case they went somewhere cold like a movie theater or a light jacket if the sweater wasn’t enough and socks for her sneakers. You had to be prepared for whatever sort of situation arose. _Oh jeez I’m turning into Ama-chan. By the time I’m her age I’ll be packing worse than_ she _is._ She would need an intervention if it ever came to that.

She tugged on one that looked somewhat light. It was a little smaller than the other ones at least. Not that that made any less heavy. It had taken an enormous of effort for her to drag the first one into the bedroom and these appeared to be following in their brethren’s footsteps…or wheel track’s as the case stood. She grunted and heaved on the thing to drag it across the floor. Every tug only brought it a few inches. It was nothing short of amazing how Makoto had managed to carry all of the bags without any sort of struggle whatsoever and a firm testament to just how _strong_ he was. _This is going to take a while._

Mikoshiba stood up from the couch. He walked over to Gou and, without breaking off his conversation, he seized the luggage in one hand. “Blah blah blah swimming blah – Where do you want this? – blah blah butterfly stroke, dolphin kick blah.” He stooped down and with his other hand snagged onto another piece of Gou’s luggage. Still continuing his conversation – Rei had actually gotten up to follow after him as he carried the luggage – Mikoshiba easily carried the bags into the bedroom as though they were filled with paper rather than stuffed nearly to the point of bursting with clothes and shoes.

 _W-well he’s…certainly as strong as Makoto._ Mikoshiba also had a really bad habit of wearing shirts that lacked sleeves. She had seen him in them many times before and today was not an exception. Normally this wasn’t an issue but when he was doing…physical labor - so to speak – the lack of sleeves gave a..a prime view of certain things. Gou bit her nail. _Such incredible biceps._

“Gou.”

“Hmmm?” Was someone speaking to her? She was far too distracted.

“Gou,” came the voice a little more forcefully and Gou blinked.

“Huh?”

“Do you want the rest in here?” Mikoshiba gestured to the bedroom floor.

She stared. “The rest?”

Mikoshiba stared back. “…Of your luggage?”

“O-oh!” Gou straightened. “Y-yes, that would be lovely. Thank you.”

_Jeez, what the heck is wrong with me!_

He walked out of the room with Rei, the two of them still discussing whatever it was they had been. Faintly she was glad he hadn’t noticed her disorientation too much, at least not enough to ask questions. His conversation with Rei was stealing enough of his attention to keep her in the clear.

As he continued bringing in the rest of her luggage she did her best to keep her gaze firmly glued on her unpacking. If she did look his way her eyes might be drawn to certain muscles that she would be unable to look away from and oh god if he caught her staring. Her face was turning red just thinking about it. The situation was bad enough without him catching her _ogling_ him.

Gou’s head banged lightly into the dresser as she leaned her head against it. _So inappropriate!_

After Mikoshiba was done bringing in the rest of the luggage, he thankfully disappeared back into the living room with Rei rather than hang around the bedroom. Gou was glad. It allowed her to focus her attention on unpacking without certain distractions rippling about. Not that that made her unpacking take any less time.

_So many clothes. Why are there so many clothes?_

By the time she finished and came back into the living room, Rei had already left. “Where did Rei go?”

“He left to get ready.” Mikoshiba looked to the clock. “You have to go soon, don’t you?”

She did. They had the temple today. The same temple Samezuka had done a few days ago. “You have the pool don’t you?”

“Right. It’s our swimming day.”

 One of the few days they had where they would be doing separate activities, and the only reason for that was likely due to the fact Samezuka had already done the temple before the hosts had changed Iwatobi’s schedule. For some reason Gou didn’t find herself as excited about having separate activities as she had the first night she had spent at Mikoshiba’s place when Samezuka had been the ones going to the temple.

“Did you eat?” Mikoshiba asked her as Gou grabbed her bag and started towards the door.

“No. I’ll eat at Iwatobi’s place. I’m sure they’ll have something for me.”

He gave her a dubious look. “How do you know they’ll have food for you? What if they don’t?”

“Then I’ll go hungry. It’s fine.”

“You should have some toast at least.”

“It’s fine, I’m fine. I don’t need anything.”

He grabbed at the loaf sitting on the counter. “Have some toast.”

She scowled mildly. She didn’t like toast. “I don’t want any toast.”

“It’s not about _wanting,_ it’s about _needing_. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You can’t skip it. What kind of example would you be setting for the swimmers you manage in that case?”

He sounded uncannily like her when she had been was yelling at Goro for eating pizza. “I don’t want any.”

“Have some toast.”

“I don’t like toast!”

Mikoshiba’s eyelids lowered to half mast. Gou was a bit taken aback. _Is he…He’s glaring at me!_

“Have some toast.” His voice had dropped a few octaves. His captain’s voice. He was using his captain’s voice on her.

Gou found herself a bit cowed, like a child being scolded for bad grades. It was no wonder he was the captain of such a successful swim team. With that tone anyone would find it hard to argue with him. Even someone as hot headed as Gou’s brother. “O-okay. I’ll have some toast.”

 

-

 

It may have been just toast but it still made her late. She texted the Iwatobi boys to meet her at the temple instead of at the lodges as she dashed out of Mikoshiba’s house. The temple wasn’t that far. She could walk and meet them there.

She pulled the hood of her jacket upwards to hide some of her features as she went. The jacket made her incredibly hot and uncomfortable, but she preferred that over her brother catching sight of her running pell-mell from Mikoshiba’s place. _He might think Mikoshiba kidnapped me and I’m escaping or something._ Which…might actually be preferable than Rin finding out about the actual situation. At least for her anyway. Not so good for Mikoshiba.

The boys were waiting for her in front area of the temple when she arrived. “Gou-chan!” Nagisa’s voice was rudely loud for being inside a place of holiness. “You have crumbs all over you!”

She looked down at herself. She must have tried eating too fast. She swept at the crumbs scattered across her shirt front. “Sorry I’m late. I got a bit held up.”

Rei peered at the crumbs like they were ancient hieroglyphics he was trying to decipher. “Is that…Were you eating toast? I thought you didn’t like toast.”

“I don’t. Mikoshiba made me eat it.”

“Mikoshiba…made you?” Makoto looked like he couldn’t quite believe his ears and Nagisa had a strange mischievous smile on his face. Rei was giving her a look that said ‘what exactly were you two doing after I left’.

Her face heated. “It-it’s not like that! He just wanted me to eat something before I left, that’s all.”  “Hmmm.” Nagisa tapped a finger against the corner of his mouth. That idiotic smile was still on his face. “Captain Mikoshiba sure is a nice guy. Making sure Gou-chan eats and takes care of herself.”

“It was just toast!”

“Just toast?” Rei seemed to be pondering this. “Perhaps toast is just the outset.”

Gou glared at him. What was he trying to get at exactly? The outset to what? _Is he thinking something perverted?_

“Tomorrow I’ll make you some toast, Rei-chan!” Nagisa declared out of the blue.

Rei spluttered. Now his face was reddening too. “T-that wasn’t what I was implying at all!”

Gou’s glare narrowed further. _He_ was _thinking something perverted!_

Thankfully the host approached them to guide them around the temple so any further questions about Mikoshiba were deterred for the time being. The temple was lovely, with large stone pillars that rose on either side of long corridors that extended in either direction for quite a distance. There were round rooms adorned with the statues of old warriors and a shrine to the old gods the natives used to worship. They were shown the stance of praying people used to use in the old days and the correct order to light candles in reverence of the old gods. The temple was nice. Except for the history that surrounded it.

Gou had not forgotten what Mikoshiba had told her about the temple, and the guide was more than obligingly to provide the same information as he had. “A hundred people were beheaded on these steps as sacrifices to the old gods.” She chuckled as if realizing something. “Of course these one hundred people were over a period of time! Not all of them were beheaded in one night. That would just be overzealous!”

“How unpleasant,” muttered Rei. Beside him Makoto’s eyebrow was ticking in a strange manner, face in a pained grimace.

Haru just looked bored until the host said one of the old gods had been a god of water and suddenly he became all attention. “What was the water god’s name?” He interrupted the host while she was in the midst of talking about seasonal gods.

The woman paused, perhaps taken a bit aback by his sudden intensity. “Tewodros. It means two waters but-”

“What did he look like?”

“N-no one knows. He was a god.”

“Water doesn’t have a form anyway, Haru-chan!” Nagisa put in.

“Actually water does have a form,” said Rei. “Gas, liquid, and solid. The amazing thing about water is-”

They never got to hear what the amazing thing about water was as Haru demanded, “What sort of swimming style did he use?”

Makoto pulled him away at that point before he became too exuberant and frightened their poor host even further.

It was just the five of them so when they were allowed to wander around the temple on their own it just made it feel that much bigger. It was almost a little lonely without Samezuka’s swim team there with them. Then again it was only for today. After today all of their activities would be with the other swim team. For some reason that made Gou feel slightly better. Even if she had to hide certain things from her brother at least there would be other people around so the areas wouldn’t feel so big.

“It’s too bad Captain Mikoshiba isn’t here.” Gou looked up to find Nagisa and Rei near her. Nagisa was the one speaking. “I like spending time with him. He’s fun.”

She rolled her eyes. He loved talking about Mikoshiba so much. Even with Makoto’s warning he still did it.

“Yes,” Rei agreed. “He is a very generous and kind individual.”

Rei too? _He’s only saying that because of this morning._ Then again tutoring and helping Rei was really nice of Mikoshiba to do. Especially considering Rei being on a competing team. If the Samezuka members found out about Mikoshiba’s tutoring of Rei would they protest? Or maybe they wouldn’t even blink at it because that was just the sort of person their captain was.

“He let us do the joint practice with him too,” Nagisa pointed out. “Most swim captains wouldn’t have done that.”

“Y-yes.” Rei pushed his glasses further onto his face. Even if all of that that was true Rei didn’t like being reminded of their first joint practice. That time when he had sunk like a rock and Haru had to save him.

Gou frowned at the both of them. “You certainly have taken quite a liking to him without even knowing him that well,” she commented dryly.

Nagisa looked at her. “Don’t you like him?”

Gou’s mouth dropped. Such a point-blank straight-forward question. And he asked it with such innocence! “G-Guys aren’t supposed to ask girls that kind of stuff!”

“Is that a yes?”

“No! It’s not! I don’t like him.”

“But you married him.”

“I don’t know why I married him!” Gou pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling sharply. She felt like she had had this conversation so many times before. “I was drunk. It was a mistake! I don’t remember any of it.”

Nagisa was silent for a moment, absorbing that. “Well,” he said after a moment, “why _don’t_ you like him then?”

“Huh?” Gou lowered her hand to blink at him.

“Why do you dislike him?” asked Nagisa and though he had phrased the question a little differently Gou still didn’t fully understand what he was trying to get at.

“I…I don’t dislike him.” She crossed her arms loosely, glare darting to the temple walls. “I just…I don’t really know him. It’s awkward.”

“Why?”

“You know why!”

“Because of your marriage?”

Gou’s face was reddening. He always said such embarrassing things like it was no big deal. It was infuriating. “Yes.”

Nagisa scratched his head. “I guess I don’t understand,” he admitted. “You were friends before that right? Why should you let something like that get in the way of it?”

“B-because!” How could she explain something like this to Nagisa? Guileless Nagisa, who looked at things with such a child like exuberance. She almost felt like he wouldn’t be able to understand no matter how she tried to explain it.

Then again…how did she explain it to herself? She had unintentionally created an intimate situation between herself and Mikoshiba, and he the same. It was only natural that it made things a little uncomfortable. But then again…did Nagisa have a valid point? Were Mikoshiba and her friends? That night at the bar, before they had done their stupid mistake and made things so hectic, it had seemed like they were on their way to it. If they hadn’t gotten stupidly married they likely would still be on the path to becoming that.

_So…why aren’t we?_

_T_ he marriage had surely thrown them a curve ball but that didn’t necessarily mean that they couldn’t move forward from it. Did it?

“Besides,” Nagisa continued. “As I said before he’s Rin-chan’s captain. Based off that alone shouldn’t we want to be friends with him?”

Gou made to answer but a loud sniff from Rei caused the words to die on her tongue. The taller teen’s eyes were unusually bright. He clasped his hands under his chin. “Nagisa-kun you are so caring and wise!”

Nagisa laughed. “I only learned how to be so wise from you, Rei-chan! I’m normally terrible at this sort of stuff!”

“So modest too!”

Gou sighed and rolled her eyes, albeit fondly. Nagisa wasn’t giving himself enough credit. And he was right. Even if things were a mess and she was stuck in marriage there was no reason to _not_ be Mikoshiba’s friend. If they became friends it may even make their situation easier and less awkward. That would be nice.

She sighed. “You’re right,” she said. “I should be his friend. Thanks, Nagisa.”

He smiled at her.

 

-

 

Gou chewed on a nail. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. She stared at the other person residing in the house. It may be a little creepy, the way she was staring, but Mikoshiba was luckily too immersed in his paper work at the kitchen table to notice her creepy stare.

He hadn’t said much to her when she had first arrived home. Some pleasant greetings before he fell back to whatever he was he had been doing prior to her walking in. Gou wasn’t satisfied. The conversation she had had with Nagisa at the temple revolved around her head like a merry-go-around she could not ignore. There was no reason Mikoshiba and her couldn’t be friends. Bridging the gap between them and putting them at ease with each other would make things so much less troublesome. But…what was the best way to approach such a situation?

 _If I were Nagisa…_ If she were Nagisa she would have walked straight up to Mikoshiba and declared, “We’re friends now, Miko-chan!” and that would have been it. But Gou would never be bold enough to take that route. She wasn’t shy but she could never go that far.

And the others…well, they were pretty bad examples. Haru would stare blankly, not saying anything while sending out mind waves of friendship that would likely only confuse and creep Mikoshiba out. Rei would stutter over his words so much he would never be able to get them out or else he would start talking about the different dynamics of friendship and how he had memorized the theory of them. Makoto likely wouldn’t say anything at first until the other brought it up, or he would say it quietly when the moment arose on its own. Makoto would wait his entire life for the opportunity to come of its own accord rather than create it himself.

 _I can’t wait that long_! Things had to happen _now_ , otherwise there was no point.

It was a bit ironic how their positions had switched. Before their…mistake Mikoshiba had always approached her so energetically and often paid special mind to greet her specifically. He had always seemed so happy to see her no matter what. Now he was still friendly but more subdued. He had backed off tremendously. 

 _Am I actually missing the way he used to greet me?_ She blinked at the sudden thought. Maybe. Maybe it had been nice seeing his face light up any time he caught sight of her. Maybe she hadn’t noticed it back then but now that it was gone, she…kind of missed it. To think someone became so happy at just the mere presence of you was kind of nice.

_Funny. I never thought of it like that before._

Her eyes roved over her surrounding in a desperate attempt to find something to spark a conversation. A conversation about anything. Anything would do. Laundry, soccer, the weather, balancing her check book. Actually she didn’t balance her check book. Balancing his _check book_. He seemed like the type of responsible individual who would do such a thing, record every little transaction in detail including the teller’s name and the address of his business so he could look over them lately. Yes, Mikoshiba definitely seemed like that type of person.

_Oh my god I am not going to talk to him about his check book._

Her gaze crossed over her notebook lying on the living room table and her eyes widened. Of course! What better thing to talk about then that! Gou snatched up her notebook. She clutched it preciously to her chest like it were a photo album of special memories.

For a moment she sat there, silently freaking out. What if he got offended or brushed her off like Rin did? What if he disregarded her presence completely and she would be left standing there like an idiot?

She closed her eyes and steeled her nerves. It was just a conversation. That was all. They had had plenty of them in the past, there was no reason to get nervous about it now. Besides, hadn’t he told her if she ever needed advice or help all she had to do was ask when they were walking back from the Iwatobi lodges?

Remembering that offer gave Gou new courage. She rose to her feet. The first few steps were hard but she forced herself forward. She walked over to where Mikoshiba sat at the kitchen table. She slammed her notebook down – maybe a little too hard – and Mikoshiba drew back at the suddenness of the action. He looked up at her in faint surprise.

Gou refused to falter. _I have come too far to falter. I must preserve._

“Tell me,” she said. “Tell me everything you know.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I burnt my bratwurst but I'm still going to eat them anyway (YOLO!)


	8. Shipwreck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin never thinks before he acts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good god. This is the new uncooperative chapter. I think I wrote some scenes three or four times. But its finally done!

The alarm woke her. Blaring loud, like the sound a prison might make if some inmates had escaped Gou imagined. She turned the annoying thing off and rolled onto her back with a groan. 7:30 came way too early.

_This summer sucks. I want to sleep in._

With a huge amount of effort and self-discipline she managed to keep her eyes from sliding back shut and even, after a few minutes, managed to lug her body off the bed and set her feet on the floor. They had to be at the bus stop by 8:30. She desperately wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep some more but if she wanted to shower and eat before their departure she had no choice but to get up.

Groaning like an old door, Gou stood. She teetered down the hallway, nearly bumping into several things along the way. _It was a mistake, staying up so late._

Passing close to the living room she heard Mikoshiba’s phone going off. His own alarm. Faintly she saw his hand reach up and slap the insufferable thing, somehow managing to hit the snooze, and then immediately he turned over and went right back to sleep.

Gou smiled a little in amusement. The great Samezuka Captain as tired as she was and unable to get up. _Clearly I’m the tougher one here._

Then again he was stuck on the couch. He likely didn’t sleep as well as she did on that big comfy bed. Especially considering, from the looks of it, he couldn’t even fully stretch out on the couch without his feet hanging over the edge.

Gou grimaced. Maybe she could offer sleeping on the couch and they could switch days or something. That way Mikoshiba wouldn’t always be stuck on it all the time. It wasn’t really fair that she had kicked him out of his own bed.

The shower woke her up enough that she didn’t feel like she was going to fall asleep if she dare let her eyes close for longer than a minute. She was still tired but that was no surprise. She had stayed up way too late. She and Mikoshiba both had. They had stayed up late talking about swimming. Strange really, Gou would never have pegged herself as someone who would find swimming interesting enough that she would stay up late to discuss it. But she was the swim team manager, and as the manager she needed to understand what she was dealing with. After last night her notebook was now full of vital notes regarding each swimming style as well as training exercises and stretching techniques. Goro probably had most of that covered but it wouldn’t hurt to show him the stuff.

Especially if Gou told him it was from Mikoshiba. The swimming coach seemed to have apotheosis Mikoshiba. Well, it was better than him hating the Samezuka Captain. Gou would have had to hear so much grief if he did dislike him. He’d probably remind her on a daily basis that she had been an idiot to get married and had married an idiot on top of which. 

When she emerged from the shower Mikoshiba was awake. He sat on the edge of the couch, talking on the phone, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. He didn’t look her way but she could see he looked and even sounded tired. And he was…shirtless. Bare shoulders and a bare back greeted her sight and in some dim corner of her mind she was glad he was distracted on the phone. He must have gotten hot during the night and taken his shirt off. Guys could do that sort of thing.

_Such a finely muscled back…_ Quickly she tore her eyes away. All she had on was a towel. Now was _not_ the time to be ogling anyone. Especially Mikoshiba. Even if they were on better terms, ogling him while she was almost naked was a big no-no. She fled to the bedroom.

For the two of them being on better terms there was no doubt in Gou’s mind. Last night had been the kicker. Talking about swimming had been enjoyable and the atmosphere had been relaxed and enjoyable. Gou hadn’t felt uncomfortable in the least, not even when they had migrated from the kitchen table to the living room for more space and he had sat down next to her. There had been only a few inches between them, but Gou hadn’t felt uneasy about the close proximity. It had been necessary anyway as they had to lean in close to look over books together. Besides Mikoshiba had been engrossed in their discussion and hadn’t make a single move that would have caused her to become nervous or off put. 

By the time Gou had finished getting dressed and reemerged Mikoshiba was in the shower. She hoped she hadn’t used up all the hot water. She was no Haru by any means – she didn’t stay in the shower for two hours - but she had been in there for a while. Poor Mikoshiba was going to end up taking a cold shower.

She was too tired to cook so she just had some cereal instead and as she sat at the little kitchen table, eating and staring mindlessly at the schedules tacked to the board, she suddenly realized she hadn’t purchased any food for herself since arriving here. She had just been eating Mikoshiba’s food without even thinking about it. First she had taken his bed now she was eating all his food. _I took his bed, used up all the hot water, and now I’m eating all his food. I am the worst roommate ever._

She would have to take a trip to the store soon. Even if she ate most of her meals at the Iwatobi place she should have a little something here.

“I’m too tired for this,” Mikoshiba stated when he came over to her, done with his shower and fully dressed. His shirt was absent the sleeves again. Gou narrowed an eye. _Is he doing that on purpose?_

He moved into the kitchen and began pawing through the cabinets. “Do you want some coffee?”

“I don’t like coffee.”

 “Have some tea then.”

“Okay.” She knew she needed the caffeine. Otherwise there was a high probability she would lie down on the floor and pass out wherever she saw fit throughout the day.

Mikoshiba set a pot of water to boil on the stove. “What are we doing today?”

“The shipwreck of the _Tyr Madhava_.”

“What the heck is that?”

“It’s a ship,” said Gou, “that…wrecked…Hence shipwreck.”  _He must be tired._

He shook his head. “I’m a wreck,” he professed. “I don’t feel like doing anything today. Remind me again why we stayed up so late.”

Gou giggled into her cereal. “Because we’re young and stupid?”

“That’s…You’re probably right.”

It was close to 8:15 by the time they were ready to go. Mikoshiba had to get his own swim team together (Gou was suddenly very glad that Samezuka had arranged to meet at another location besides Mikoshiba’s – then again Mikoshiba had doubtlessly done that so there weren’t a bunch of boys marching around his house every morning causing a mess) and Gou had to go meet up with the Iwatobi boys. Makoto had already texted her inquiring where she was.

They walked down the front path together, Gou punching away on her ugly grey phone to let Makoto know she was on her way. She was not too concerned about Rin catching them leaving the house together. If he was on time he would be at the Samezuka meeting place by now and it was improbable that Rin would ever come to Mikoshiba’s place. The two weren’t that close. Her fear had lessened considerably because of that. _Or is it because of last night?_ Even she wasn’t sure if it was because there were legit reasons not to be afraid of him seeing them or because she just felt more comfortable with the situation overall.

“I’ll see you at the bus stop,” said Mikoshiba as they came to the edge of the path where they went their separate ways.

“Alright.” Gou gave a short wave and took off in her own direction.

 

-

 

It was a twenty minute ride by bus to the ship wreck and since it was Iwatobi and Samezuka again they were given the same seat assignments as the ones they had received during the clam hunting. Gou could only assume the assignments were likely to remain permanent. It was easier for the hosts that way then doing new assignments every new event and letting the teens run wild was out of the question. There were simply too many of them for the hosts to justify letting them run amuck finding their own seats.

So once again Gou found herself sharing the front most seat with Mikoshiba, with Rei and Nagisa behind  them and Haru and Makoto across the alley. And Rin in the second bus. At least the assigned seats were working out to Gou’s advantage.

She frowned down at the pamphlet in her lap. “Why did she give this to me?” Before boarding the bus the host had handed out one pamphlet and for some weird reason she had chosen Gou to hand it to.

“You did raise your hand when they asked who was in charge of the two groups when we went clam hunting,” Mikoshiba pointed out. “And you’re the only girl. She probably felt most comfortable handing it to you.”

That was true. If Gou had been in the host’s position, surrounded by a slew of rowdy foreign teenagers, she would likely have done the same thing.

She jumped a little as Nagisa practically slammed himself down on the top of the back of her seat. “What’s the pamphlet say, Gou-chan?”

“It’s Kou,” she replied automatically. “And it’s about the boat.” She flipped it open. “The _Tyr Madhava_ was built in 1913 as a luxury cruise liner,” she read. “Whilst on its maiden voyage nearly a hundred years ago the _Tyr Madhava_ crashed into some rocks unseen beneath the water’s surface and sank. Six hundred people were plunged into the sea. Most were rescued but some drowned before rescue came.”

“That sounds vaguely familiar,” Mikoshiba mumbled.

“It’s the Titanic,” said Rei instantly. “In 1912 it sank on its maiden voyage as well.”

“Isn’t there a movie about that?” asked Haru.

“Poor Jack,” whimpered Nagisa.

Makoto shuddered. “All those boats sinking into the ocean…” He shuddered again.

“Twenty five years ago the wreckage of the _Tyr Madhava_ was recovered and restored and eventually turned into a museum,” Gou continued. “To this day it stands as a memento and reminder of the dangers of the sea and the respect it deserves.” She paused. “The wreckage, which is now the museum, is believed to be haunted.”

Makoto squeaked. “Ha-haunted?”

“That’s what it says.” Gou turned the pamphlet over.

“Bu-but why would it be haunted?” Makoto’s chuckle was strained and stiff, like someone had told him a joke that was not meant to be funny. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Some people did drown,” said Nagisa.

“Some bodies were never recovered either,” Gou added.

Makoto visibly paled while Nagisa leaned so far over trying to read the pamphlet he almost toppled into Gou and Mikoshiba’s seat. “The spirits aren’t at rest!” he exclaimed, his words echoing down the length of the bus. “They seek vengeance!”

“You’re causing a scene!” Rei tried to pull him back into his seat. “And don’t be silly, there’s no such thing as ghosts.”

“We’ll need salt.”

“That stuff doesn’t even work! It’s an old wives tale!”

“Last time you brought sugar by mistake anyway,” said Haru.

Gou waited, nearly plastered against the window of the bus, for Nagisa to be pulled back into his seat before continuing her reading. Her eyes widened. “That isn’t the last of it. The museum enjoyed the myth of the boat being haunted so much they incorporated it into their tour. Ghosts and ghouls will be hidden throughout the museum. When an unsuspecting victim gets to close, they will jump out and try to drag the hapless person down into a watery grave.”

There was a moment of silence. “A-a watery grave?” Makoto gulped. “That isn’t possible, is it? We’re not going to be anywhere close to water…”

“What does the pamphlet mean by that?” asked Mikoshiba.

Gou eyes roved over the pamphlet before answering. “The museum has employees dress up as ghosts and ghouls and try to scare you apparently.”

Makoto made a ‘uwah’ sound while Nagisa sucked in his breath, eyes sparkling. “That sounds fun!”

“They jump out and scare you on _purpose_?” Makoto was beside himself. “What kind of sick country is this?!”

“It’s become a big attraction and delight to children and the locals according to the pamphlet.”

“Are you trying to tell me they _enjoy_ being scared?!”

“It’s actually not that unusual for people to enjoy being scared,” said Rei. “For quite a few people it’s a natural reaction.” His dark gaze slid almost accusingly over to Nagisa bouncing excitedly in the seat beside him.  

“Don’t worry, Mako-chan!” Nagisa exclaimed. “We’ll protect you!”

Makoto muttered something that sounded like he was going to be sick.

Gou flipped the pamphlet over again but there was nothing else there. It would be nice of the host country cancelled the whole ghoul and ghost thing for them but she had a sinking feeling they wouldn’t. If anything they would probably increase the amount of employees performing the scaring. Partly to try and make it more entertaining for their guests and also because they would get a kick out of frightening a bunch of foreign teenagers. Gou could just imagine them sitting there guffawing and giggling to each other at the thought of making the young teens scream and freak out.

“I can’t decide if this is going to be really fun or really terrible,” she muttered.

“I bet it’ll be fun.” Mikoshiba looked almost as excited as Nagisa was. He rubbed his chin, eyes bright. “It’ll be just like a haunted house. You’re not afraid of those, are you?”

She was, a little, but she wasn’t going to admit that. _I’m a girl, I’m supposed to get scared, I have an excuse._ So long as she wasn’t as bad as poor Makoto, who was starting to turn that weird shade of blue again, she was good anyway. “I’m not, but there’s a big difference between a haunted house and a museum,” she commented. “When you go to a haunted house you _expect_ to be scared. You don’t expect to go to a museum and have people jumping out at you yelling ‘boo’ and stuff. It’s a totally different atmosphere.”

“If you get scared,” said Mikoshiba, “you can hold my hand.” He held up an appendage and wiggled his fingers invitingly, a smirk positively splitting his face.

The heat invaded Gou’s face like a hot current and she drew back. “I-I don’t need something like that!”

 

_-_

When they arrived at the museum the host tried to get Gou, the one with the pamphlet, to speak to the swim teams and tell them about the situation they were about to experience. Gou froze like a deer in headlights and stood there _uhhh_ ing and _ummm_ ing until Mikoshiba stepped up and plucked the pamphlet from her hands. She was used to speaking to the Iwatobi boys but there were only four of them, nothing close to the amount of people that were there currently and expectantly waiting to hear what was going on. Mikoshiba on the other hand was used to speaking to a multitude of people. He was a much better candidate than she to announce everything.

Once she had moved away to let Mikoshiba take over, she caught Rin looking oddly at her. If it was because Mikoshiba had come to her rescue and taken the pamphlet from her she didn’t know but didn’t think so. It had been such a miniscule act and it was apparent she had been struggling. It wasn’t that suspicious for Mikoshiba to do what he had. Gou did her best to pretend she didn’t notice his stare.

 “Remember there will be people jumping out trying to scare you,” Mikoshiba was finishing. “There will be designated safe zones throughout the tour where that won’t be occurring but otherwise be prepared and don’t lose your heads. Act rationally and stay out of trouble. “

The response was a chorus. “Yes, sir!”

“They’re like a military unit,” Nagisa marveled.

_That’s…actually a pretty accurate analogy_. From what Gou had seen of the Samezuka swim team they were highly organized, systematic, and its members obedient. Mikoshiba’s instructions and decisions were met without complaint and without protest. He was the indisputable leader.

A sharp contrast to the Iwatobi team, whose leadership was vaguer and more of a democracy with everyone throwing in their opinion regardless of what the topic was. When it really came down to it Makoto was the bottom line on decisions but overall the leadership of Iwatobi was much more communal. _Our low membership gives us that luxury_.

Due to their high amount of members if Samezuka didn’t have a clear cut leadership it would only turn to chaos with everyone throwing in their opinions and doing whatever they thought best. Samezuka needed that stability and organization that Iwatobi could get away without. They needed someone to point them in the right direction. And so far Mikoshiba seemed to be doing a fair job of it.

The museum had been built to look like an actual shipwreck and from its roof there was even a hull sticking up at a slant. Gou could only assume it was fake.  A piece of the actual shipwreck would be way too heavy but it still looked real enough to make her squint at it for a long time. It was impressive regardless if it were fake or not.

Inside the museum the light was dim and blue colored to mimic being underwater. Strange sounds echoed from hidden speakers, like the passing of waves and the eerie stillness of being deep in the ocean. It reminded Gou a little bit of the shell she had sitting next to the bed back at Mikoshiba’s place, the shell that sounded like a tiny ocean when she put it to her ear. Except _that_ sound was pleasant and soothing. These sounds made her hair stand on end.

“Welcome to the wreck of the _Tyr Madhava_!” The host gestured with an outstretched arm as if presenting some great prize rather than the horrible shipwreck. “Please enjoy your stay! We will be providing various information about the boat and its unfortunate wreck throughout the tour so please listen carefully!” She turned. “Let’s get started!”

As they moved forward, Makoto had already started hiding behind Haru or at least trying to considering his bigger height and girth. When they passed by some artifacts, he made a noise that was somewhere between a squawk and a squeak, even though no one made an appearance. He let out a mini shriek when Nagisa moved too quickly next to him.

Several Samezuka members made a scolding shhhing noise at him. “We’re trying to listen!” said one of them, but Gou had an inkling they were trying to listen to the footsteps of would-be scarers rather than the host. They looked just as on edge as Makoto.

“Please calm down, Makoto-sempai,” said Rei. In the dark his glasses made him look almost like an alien. “No one has even jumped out to try and scare you yet.”

“It’s the suspense that’s killing me!”

“Here we have a piece of the outer hull!” the host said cheerfully, standing next to a large hunk of metal. “The ship was struck on its port side by underwater rock that created several breaches in the ship’s hull amounting to a total of twelve feet of breach altogether. The tears caused five of the lower compartments of the _Tyr Madhava_ to become flooded, submerging the bulkheads and letting the ship to continue to be flooded.”

Very few were listening to her. Most were looking about, searching diligently for any shadows lurking in the dim light. Even those who were excited and not scared, like Nagisa, were too busy peering about then actually listening to the host’s information.

As they moved further into the museum the light only got darker and even Gou found herself a little on edge. Old photos of survivors – or not survivors, Gou wasn’t sure which and she really didn’t want to find out - were on display. Their gray and white faces peered out in morbid stillness and it made Gou feel like they were staring at her, watching her every move almost accusingly, like they were angry at her for being alive while they were dead. Gou shuddered. She was letting her imagination run away from her but she couldn’t help it. The whole place was _meant_ to be creepy and it was succeeding.

They moved further and further in, the host prattling on about different artifacts that had been recovered, and still there was no sign of any ghouls or ghosts. The swim teams began to relax and enjoy themselves, actually listening to what the host had to say and reading the various displays around them.

Perhaps the host country had decided to cancel the scaring? Gou could only assume they had. Otherwise there surely would have been a victim or two by now.

“They’re simply building a false sense of security,” said Rei when she voiced her opinion. “They want us to believe we are safe and secure. They want us feel more relaxed. Then, when we are, they will spring their trap.”

“Don’t say it so morbidly.” Gou glanced over at where Makoto had finally started to unwind only to stiffen up once again upon hearing Rei’s break down of things.

It wasn’t long before they came to a darkened hallway linking together two different sections of the museum. There was hardly any light at all, which was saying something considering there wasn’t much light to begin with. The hallway was a little ominous looking and Gou began to wonder if Rei had in fact been right. He usually was. Gou had a sinking feeling. If any scaring was going to take place it would be here.

Mikoshiba went in first without hesitation. In fact he almost looked _excited about it._ Gou went in not far behind him, and the Iwatobi boys behind her. Makoto didn’t want to go into the hallway, not that Gou could blame him, and the three other Iwatobi boys almost had to forcibly drag him. The light was so dim Gou was only able to make out vague shapes. Luckily in front of her Mikoshiba was easy to recognize with his height and hair style. She kept her sight glued on him.

Behind her there were several ow’s and boys complaining about their feet getting stepped on by others. Some of them jostled each other and there was teasing laughter. Everyone was certainly more relaxed than frightened.

Which was the perfect time for something to happen.

A dim figured moved suddenly from one of the walls, too sudden and too purposeful to be one of the swim team members. There was some surprised yelling and more jostling as the boys flinched away from the figure, causing them to bump into others in their close proximity, and a high pitched feminine sounding shriek.

“Gou?!” Mikoshiba turned around. She could see his shoulders moving, probably reaching out to try and find her in the dim light.

“I’m fine, that wasn’t me. And don’t say my name so loudly!” She reached back anyway and when his hand encountered her’s, he snagged it. At his gentle tug she moved closer and he released her hand when she was a few inches from his person. “Was that Makoto who shrieked?” she asked.

“I don’t scream like that!” Makoto’s voice from somewhere in the darkness, affronted.

“Oh, sorry.”

“I thought it was Makoto too,” Mikoshiba whispered.

Gou laughed a little then stopped, a thought suddenly occurring to her. _Why the heck did he say my name then if he thought it was Makoto?!_

“It wasn’t Makoto-sempai. It’s that boy who’s always with Rin,” said Rei. “He’s the one who shrieked.”

“Nitori?” asked Mikoshiba.

Indeed it was Nitori. Further down the hall Gou could vaguely see the small boy clinging to her brother’s arm like a bur that would just not come off. “Sempai, I’m scared!”

“What are you so scared of?!” Rin didn’t look too happy at all having the smaller boy cling to him so but surprisingly he wasn’t trying to dislodge the youngster. “They’re just guys dressed up in costume!”

But even he flinched away when another jumped out at him and Nitori let out another high pitched shriek that could have been used in a class B horror movie.

They made their way out of the hallway relatively unscathed. One or two looked ready to pee their pants, Makoto included, but for the most part everyone was laughing and teasing each other about being so scared. The scarings followed them as they continued their tour, although they lessened when they were in areas with actual displays and where the host needed to speak to give information. That was probably the reason for it. The museum wanted to let them listen to the host without freaking out about ghouls jumping out at them.

After nearly an hour they finally reached the first designated safe zone. Makoto nearly fell to his knees at seeing it. “Oh, thank god.” His hand covered his chest and he staggered to a seat like he were about to faint.

“You’re doing so well, Mako-chan!” Nagisa encouraged him. Nagisa had been whooping and jumping around like a flea in a land full of dogs anytime a ghoul had made an appearance but it had been in excitement rather than terror. “You’ve barely screamed at all!”

“Yes, Makoto-sempai, you must stay strong!” Rei put in.

Makoto gave them a weak smile. It was true he was doing better than Gou had first anticipated. Or maybe he had just come to realize it was all meant in fun nothing overly sinister. Or maybe he was in such a perpetual stage of fright he _couldn’t_ act anymore scared. _Least he isn’t screaming like Nitori is._ Gou wouldn’t be surprised if the poor boy lost his voice after this. _Or brother his hearing._

The designated safe area contained enough benches to accommodate the majority of the swim teams as well as several food and drink venues. Of course. It made sense that the safe area be a place where you could buy stuff. Stuff that was _incredibly_ expensive. Gou stared up at the prices like she was trying to read a foreign language. She had expected the prices to be a little higher considering where they were but this was ridiculous. _It would have been cheaper if they asked for my first born instead._

She pocketed her money, deciding she could endure until they got back. It would be a lot easier on her wallet and healthier than this stuff anyway. It was probably full of trans fat and hydrogenated oils, even though she still had no idea what those were.

There was a water fountain at least. Amazingly that was still free. As she drank, she saw a person approach her. She didn’t bother looking up right away, automatically assuming it was Mikoshiba. Once she raised her head, she was more than surprised to find it was in fact Rin standing there rather than Mikoshiba.

“Br-brother.” She tried to quell the nervous stirring in her heart and stomach. He had sought her out on purpose. That meant it had to be something bad. He wouldn’t approach her for anything else. Had he found out? He didn’t look very happy at the moment. Then again when _did_ he look happy nowadays?

“Something wrong?” She tried to make herself sound pleasant rather than nervous.

He took a moment to answer, his eyes looking over her face carefully. She could only blink back, uncertain what he was searching for.

“You look tired.”

Ah, so _that_ was why he had been looking at her oddly all day. He must have noticed the bags under her eyes. She didn’t feel all that tired but it surely still showed on her.

“O-oh, yes.” She rubbed the back of her neck, laughing a little uncomfortably. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

For some reason that response only made him scowl harder. “Those idiots aren’t working you too hard, are they?”

By those idiots he meant the Iwatobi boys. His mind would go directly to that. “No, no, not at all. It wasn’t their fault.”

_It was your captain’s fault…_ Gou tried to make her brain shut up. She’d rather die on the spot than say something like that to Rin. He would take it in the _worst_ way possible and it was the farthest thing from the truth. _I don’t even remember if we kissed or not!_ That still peeved her that she couldn’t remember something as important as her first kiss.

The host called out it was time to resume their tour. The swim teams rose and headed to the next portion of the museum.

Gou saw Mikoshiba pause ahead of her, looking about. He must have been looking for her, for once he saw her with Rin he turned back around and headed to the front of the pack. Gou silently thanked whatever deity was watching over her that Mikoshiba was wise enough to stay away when she was speaking with her brother. It was unlikely anything would happen that would arise Rin’s suspicions but she’d rather not even allow the opportunity to come up if she could help it. One minor slip and that’d be it. Then they would be the _real_ ghouls on this tour.

“You need to get more sleep,” said Rin as they walked. “You’re not taking care of yourself.”

“Of course I am,” she protested. “It was only last night. I’ve been getting lots of sleep otherwise!”

Well, except for that night when she had drank herself into a stupor but she wasn’t about to mention that.

Rin didn’t look convinced. “Have you been eating well?”

“Yes, actually.” Gou was unable to keep the pride completely out of her voice. Even if it was Mikoshiba’s diet she had stolen she had still been the one to implement it and force the Iwatobi boys to follow it. That had been quite the accomplishment and she was fairly proud of it.

“You’re not still jet lagged are you?”

“I don’t think so. It’s hard to tell. I feel like I’m used to the time shift though.”

They passed by a sign declaring they were exiting the safe zone. Gou only glanced at it and did not pay it much mind.

Rin was looking away from her, his gaze on the wall, avoiding looking her way on purpose. “You’ve been looking a bit stressed out lately,” he said quietly. “That’s all.”

Gou couldn’t believe it. He had noticed? Funny, she didn’t think he would have. He hardly seemed to notice her presence at all anymore. Still it made her happy to hear, even if he had not approached her about it until now. It was actually a good thing that he _hadn’t_ approached her beforehand. She would have freaked out so much she might have cracked and given away her deep dark secret.

She giggled and he looked back at her.

“What’s that smile for?”

“Nothing, nothing.” She waved her hand “It’s just-”

From the left something jumped out of the shadows at her, hands outstretched like claws trying to snatch her up.

Both siblings reacted instinctively. Gou recoiled, screaming like a banshee, and Rin grabbed her shoulder. He pulled her forcibly back out of harm’s way, and at the same time stepped forward to place himself between them. His fist came up.

And he slugged the guy in the face.

 

-

 

“I…” Nagisa swallowed. “I can’t believe Rin-chan punched that guy.”

Outside the museum Gou sat with the Iwatobi boys. Around them the Samezuka team was spread out, clumped up in small groups, sitting and chatting quietly. And across the way…across the way, outside of earshot, Mikoshiba stood speaking with the host and the poor gentleman still dressed in his ghoul makeup. Only now he was sporting a very unhappy expression and a pretty large shiner.

Rin was nowhere to be seen and Nitori was notably absent as well. Gou could only assume the two of them had gone onto the bus already, not wanting to be seen or talked to. If Gou knew her brother well enough, he might be embarrassed about what had happened. Or ashamed. It was hard to tell with her brother these days.

“Well, Rin was protecting Gou-sempai,” said Rei. “And he was likely scared himself, not expecting something like that.” He frowned and scratched his cheek. “Although it would have been more tactful for his first move to not be to assault someone.”

She grimaced. As usual Rei was right and she felt terrible about it. She was a large part to blame for the current situation. If she hadn’t freaked out like she had when the guy had jumped out Rin may not have reacted the way he had. He hadn’t done anything like that when Nitori had been scared.

“Rin always acts without thinking first,” said Haru. “He’s always been like that.”

Was that…bitterness in his tone? Gou was a little stunned. Haru normally never let his emotions show when it came to her brother and whatever had happened between them was still a mystery to her. Perhaps in some way he was exasperated with Rin’s behavior today and couldn’t help but let that show. Maybe Rin’s behavior had reminded him of something form the past that had happened between them.

“Still, if he thought he was protecting Gou-chan then that makes sense, right?” protested Nagisa. “He was trying to defend Gou-chan from being harmed by a vengeful spirit.”

“I-it wasn’t actually a vengeful spirit,” Rei said weakly. “It was just some poor guy in makeup.”

Haru shrugged and did not respond. He had said what he wanted to say and was done with the conversation.

“Whatever the reason it’s going to be tough for Samezuka.” The corner of Makoto’s mouth twitched. “I doubt they’ll get sent home due to the cost of sending them back early but they’ll likely lose pool time.”

Gou grimaced again. For Samezuka to lose pool time… that was almost as bad as being sent home for them. They hardly got any pool time as it was and for them to lose an entire week would be disastrous. They could very easily be put behind because of that.

The sound of the buses’ engine starting pulled Gou out of her thoughts. “Time to go.” Makoto pushed himself to his feet.

“We’re leaving?” Further down one of the Samezuka members, presumably Mikoshiba’s backup – Gou did not know his name - was shouting and gesturing for Samezuka to get on the buses.

“They’re sending the rest of us back,” said Makoto. “No reason for us to sit around here getting in the way as they figure things out.”

“What about-” Gou looked back to where Mikoshiba was still standing with the host.

“He’ll be taking a taxi back I think.” Makoto glanced over to the Samezuka captain, a small frown twisting the corner of his mouth. “There’s nothing to be done about it.”

Gou bit her nail. Leaving Mikoshiba behind. As if she didn’t already feel bad enough, now she was abandoning him here to deal with the situation her and her brother had created. Rin and she had caused it and now he had to bear the brunt of it. As Samezuka’s captain it was his responsibility, especially since they had brought no adults with them.

Nagisa giggled into his hand. “Gou-chan is worried about her husband-chan.”

Gou stiffened. “I told you not to call him that!”

“It’ll be fine, Gou-chan!” He patted her shoulder. “I’m sure Seijuro-chan will be able to calm the situation. Seijuro-chan is good at that kind of thing.”

 Seijuro-chan? Gou’s mouth dropped. Already he was using Mikoshiba’s first name _and_ adding chan to the end? _You are incorrigible, Nagisa._

They boarded the bus. Gou watched from her window as she long as she could but before long Mikoshiba was no longer in sight. She sat back with a sigh. Being by herself on the seat felt weird and empty. Mikoshiba always gave her room but he was big enough he took up a decent amount of space regardless. That open space where he usually sat felt alien and uncomfortable.

The drive back was listless and devoid of conversation.

 

-

 

It was growing late when Mikoshiba finally returned. The sound of the door opening made Gou perk up and a spike of delight lance through her when she saw him walk through the door. “You’re back.”

He paused at hearing her voice and seeing her. Had he not expected her to be there? Maybe he had assumed she would stay at the Iwatobi place while he was absent.

“Yeah, I’m back.” He looked tired and worn thin. He moved to the side of the couch Gou was not curled up on and sat down, running a hand over his face.

Gou set aside the book she had reading, or trying to read at least. It was one of Rei’s swimming books that read like a lawyer’s documents. Honestly she had mostly just been looking at the pictures of the swimmers muscles rather than reading it. “Do you want some coffee?” she offered. “I made some a bit ago.”

He looked over at her in surprise. “I thought you didn’t like coffee.”

“I don’t.”

He absorbed that a moment then his expression changed to something between a smile and a grin. “There wouldn’t happen to any decaf is there? I don’t want to be up all night.”

“I made that too.” She got up to head towards the kitchen but not before seeing his eyebrows shoot into his hairline.

“You’re amazing.”

She was glad her back was to him so he wouldn’t see her blush or the small smile she could not prevent from crossing her face. “There’s some food too in case you haven’t eaten,” she told him when she returned with two cups, one full of coffee for him and another full of tea for her. “And it’s from Iwatobi so it’s the same diet as yours; you won’t have to worry about spoiling yourself. I mean you’re the one we literally got the diet from.”

He blinked. “Were they really okay with you taking it?”

“Oh yeah.” Truthfully they had made Gou take more than she had originally wanted to. So much in fact Makoto had to walk with her since she couldn’t carry it all. Goro had wanted to give her _all_ of the food for poor Mikoshiba’s sake but Amakata had luckily talked him out of it. All of Iwatobi felt bad about what had happened and wanted to help. _They like him so much already._

“Thanks,” said Mikoshiba. “I’ll eat in a little bit.” He sipped on his coffee, eyes distant and lost in thought. Gou waited but after a few minutes she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Did…did everything turn out alright?”

He nodded. “Everything’s been straightened out. Considering they are purposely trying to scare people I’m surprised something like this hasn’t happened before. Or maybe it has, who knows.”

She worried her hands. “Are you guys going to be punished?”

She was relieved when he shook his head. “They want us here and they want us in the competition. They’re trying to improve their relationship with other nations and booting out those other nations isn’t going to help them. If it weren’t for that I’m not sure even I would have been able to talk our way out of it. There was a lot of scolding and a lot of threats of what they could do and of course they weren’t happy about what happened, but either way its fine.” He exhaled deeply. “We’re still here and we’re still in the competition.”

Gou let out her breath. “Good.”

There were a few more moments of silence, Mikoshiba drinking his coffee and staring straight ahead at the wall in front of him, and Gou leaning against his pillow she had nabbed earlier when she had been reading. Smelling his scent on it had made her feel less alone being in the house all by herself while he had been gone. Like being on the bus seat by herself being at the house without him there had felt odd and almost morose. Especially considering where he had been at the time.

“Hey,” he said suddenly and Gou looked up from the picture of the swimmer she had been studying or actually ogling.

“Hmm?”’

“Matsuoka and you,” he said slowly. “Were you close when you younger?”

That was an unexpected question. A personal one too. Faintly she wondered what made him ask such a thing. “We were,” she said. “Back then we were at least. Definitely closer than we are now. When I was younger he used to hold my hand a lot.” She flexed her hand in her lap, as if by doing so she could recall the memory of it. Her shoulders sagged. “He doesn’t do that anymore though.”

Mikoshiba looked like he wanted to ask something more but seemed to think better of it. He frowned at the wall. Could it be something he would think was too personal to ask? Or was it something else?

“Something wrong?”

His mouth twitched. “When he was in Australia,” he said, “your brother I mean did anything bad happen to him?”

She blinked. “N-not that I’m aware of, but he…he seemed…different when he came back. I don’t know why or what happened to him; he doesn’t really talk to me about it. He hardly talks to me at all anymore.” She looked over at Mikoshiba curiously. “Are you worried about him?”

Mikoshiba was silent for another moment before responding and when he did he shook his shoulders as if throwing off a weight. “It’s fine. I’m sure he has his reasons.” He leaned against the back of the couch. “Anyway it’s all about performance. The fastest swimmer wins. It’s that simple.”

“Is that’s what it’s all about? Winning?”

He considered that. “I don’t know. Maybe. Regardless, there’s something to be said when you work hard towards something and succeed at it. When you give it your all and manage to pull it off. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”

“The greatest feeling in the world,” Gou muttered. Was that why her brother liked swimming so much? Was it because winning was all that mattered to him after all? Or was there more to it? He had been so happy at the relay, back when he had won with Haru and Makoto and Nagisa. Surely there had to be more to it than simply winning. Surely.

There was a knock on the door.

Gou froze. Next to her Mikoshiba stiffened. Ice prickled its way up her arms and her heart seemed to be attempting a new beat record. From the look on Mikoshiba’s face he wasn’t expecting any visitors either. “Who is it?” he called out hesitantly.

A beat. “It’s Matsuoka.”

Gou’s eyes widened so much the skin around them hurt. Rin! Her brother! What was her brother doing here at this hour?!

“I’d like to have a word with you,” Rin continued from the other side of the door, “if you wouldn’t mind.”

Gou was panicking. What could Rin _possibly_ want to talk to Mikoshiba about this late at night?! _The marriage?_ Could it be? Had he found out? But how? And would he come to Mikoshiba first before coming to her? _Maybe he went over to Iwatobi first and they told him I was here._ That didn’t seem right though. Any of the people at Iwatobi would be smart enough to deter Rin and alert her to the situation before telling Rin anything. And Gou’s ugly phone hadn’t made an ugly peep the entire night.

“Uh, sure,” said Mikoshiba. “Just a moment.” He gave her a meaningful look that said _hide_ and stood.

Gou scrambled off the couch. In her haste she was going too fast and not paying attention, and her foot caught on the arm. She plummeted to the floor with an _oof._

“Gou-kun,” Mikoshiba said in concern, “are you alright?”

She struggled to her hands and knees. “Don’t say my name!” She got to her feet and fled towards the bedroom. “And don’t use Gou and kun together either!” she added over her shoulder.

She dove into the bedroom. She swung the door nearly shut but left it open just a crack so she could hear through it. There came the sound of Mikoshiba opening the front door and her brother’s voice.

Her hands tightened on her pants. If it was about the marriage…if Rin had _found out_ about the marriage then…

_Then Mikoshiba and I will be going home in body bags._

She quieted her breath, scarcely daring to breath. She leaned her ear near the crack and prepared to listen.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the idea of the ghoul and ghosts scaring people from a restaurant in New York which is literally called Ninja New York. They have employees dressed as ninjas who will JUMP OUT AND SCARE YOU WHILE YOU ARE EATING THERE. Seriously look it up. It sounds absolutely fantastic. Why didn't I know about this before I visited New York?


	9. Key

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was out of town this weekend and work has been kicking my butt and I got super distracted watching "Kyoukai no Kanata" (which is great and I would highly recommend it - especially if you like Trigun because this anime goes from :D and XD to D: and ;_; in like two minutes flat just like Trigun does) so this chapter took a little longer to get out. I'm going to quit my job and move to Bermuda I swear. I'll serve coconut water on the beach or something.

Seijuro waited a moment after Gou disappeared from view for her to reach the bedroom. There was no sound of the bedroom door closing but Gou never seemed to close doors unless she was in the bathroom or changing. Seijuro could only assume she was one of those people that hated closed doors for some reason. He didn’t think she was claustrophobic. Then again he had never asked her either.

He opened the front door. “Matsuoka.”

Matsuoka’s usual glowering visage greeted him. It couldn’t be said that Matsuoka was always scowling but he never seemed to look very happy either. So Seijuro had come to refer to his usual expression as glowering. He thought that was pretty accurate.

“Captain,” Matsuoka said in return. The words were a little stiffer than Matsuoka’s normal gravely tone. “Sorry for disturbing you so late.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s fine. Come in.” He held the door open for the shorter boy. It would have been preferable if he could have kept him outside and talked to him from the doorway, but that would have been considered not only rude but a little suspicious. The last thing Matsuoka needed to be.

The other boy entered and as he did so even his movements seemed stiffer than normal, almost high strung. He was definitely tense.

“What’s brought you over here at this hour?” Seijuro tried to sound pleasant rather than intrusive.

Matsuoka didn’t answer for a moment, looking about, and a sliver of concern snaked up Seijuro’s spine. Had Gou left something out that would give away her presence? No, she couldn’t have. All her stuff was in the bedroom. Thank god she had unpacked yesterday. Matsuoka may not have known by sight alone that it was Gou’s luggage but trying to explain to him why Seijuro had a bunch of flower decorated luggage sitting in his living room would have been a little difficult.

More than likely Matsuoka was just surprised at the place and how much room Seijuro had to himself.

 _Well room_ he _thinks I have to myself anyway._ It wasn’t exactly just his own anymore but Matsuoka couldn’t know that.

“I wanted to apologize,” Matsuoka said at last. He turned to face him. “For what happened earlier today. And for causing so much trouble.”

 _Ah so that’s what he had come over for_. Matsuoka did seem like the type who would want to say something like that in person and not over the phone or through text. And someone who would want to say something as soon as possible regardless of the hour rather than let it wait. Matsuoka had probably not been able to relax since the incident, and had been waiting impatiently for Siejuro to get back. That would explain why he had shown up so shortly after Seijuro’s return.

“It’s alright,” said Seijuro. “I understand why you acted the way you did. You were protecting your little sister; any big brother would have done the same. Considering the circumstances I think it’s understandable.”

Matsuoka relaxed a little but not completely, and a second later Seijuro understood why. “What about the host country?”

“Everything’s been worked out. They’re agreed to let the incident go without punishment. No harm, no foul has been done.”

Matsuoka let out his breath in a long exhale. His high strung shoulders lowered and he visibly relaxed. “Good.”

 “Still,” Seijuro continued, adopting more of the tone he used when he had to be serious with his swim team. “I’d recommend we not repeat this sort of incident. If it does occur again they will not be so forgiving. We could lose anything from swim time to even our spot in the competition. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Matsuoka nodded. “I understand.”

Seijuro let out a breath of his own. He was so tired. He had already been sleep deprived and dealing with the incident and the scolding of the host country had been draining. He was ready to not have to deal with anything else for the rest of the night.

“Is that…”

Seijuro looked questionably up. His eyes instantly widened. Gou’s notebook! He had completely forgotten about it. It was still sitting on the table.

Matsuoka was staring down at it. “Is that Iwatobi’s?”

“Ah...” Quickly Seijuro moved around Matsuoka and picked it up. The other teen looked like he wanted to start pawing through it and if Seijuro left it there he just might. “Ah, yes. It’s Rei’s,” he lied quickly.

Matsuoka raised an eyebrow. “Rei?”

 _He doesn’t know Rei by sight alone?_ That was a bit surprising. Had the two never been properly introduced? “The tall boy with the glasses.”

“Oh.” Matsuoka’s glowering turned into an actual scowl.

 _So he does know who Rei is._ Well, somewhat. Matsuoka simply saw Rei as the fourth person of Iwatobi. The person he viewed as the boy who had replaced him. Even though that wasn’t true – Rei was _not_ a replacement, Seijuro had seen that for himself in the way his teammates treated and interacted with him – and despite the fact Matsuoka had left of his own accord that was the way he would see it as.

 _I should have said it was Makoto’s._ That wouldn’t have bothered Matsuoka so much and as the swim team captain it would have made sense for Makoto to have such a thing and to swap information with Seijuro.

“What’s he doing over here?”

It was a rude question. Matsuoka knew that but in his irritated state he didn’t care. When it came to Iwatobi Matsuoka always acted recklessly, Seijuro was slowly coming to realize.

“I’ve been tutoring him a bit.”

Matsuoka’s scowl deepened. “Tutoring him, huh?”

He looked as though he wanted to ask more but was holding back. It must be a rude question – well, _ruder_ \- he wanted to ask, or one that would pry even more into Seijuro’s business. Or possibly one that might challenge Seijuro’s position. For someone as hot headed and temperamental as Matsuoka that was not surprising.

Still the fact that he was reluctant to ask was a good sign. He respected Seijuro’s authority, at least to a certain degree, as much as someone like Matsuoka could anyway.

Matsuoka turned and headed towards the door. “Sorry again for disturbing you, Captain. I’ll head back now.”

“Not a problem. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He waited until Matsuoka closed the door with a soft click and then he lowered the notebook with a sigh. Getting scolded by the host country had been exhausting but this…this was worse. He had felt like he was on pins and needles almost that entire time.

“Is he gone?” Gou’s voice came quietly from the hall even though Seijuro couldn’t see her. She must be crouching down.

He furrowed his brow. “Why would you come out if you weren’t sure?”

There was a moment of silence then Gou popped into view. “Giving me that response, I know he’s gone.” She moved her shoulders as if they had been held stiff for a long time. “That was a close one.”

Seijuro grunted in the affirmative. More than close. If Matsuoka had opened up the notebook…he may not recognize his sister’s handwriting off the bat but all the diagrams and notes about muscles would have likely given it anyway. _Or he would just have thought Rei has really strange taste._ Actually in that case it might not have been hard to convince him it was Rei’s notebook.

 _“_ That was really unexpected of him to show up here. He didn’t go into the kitchen did he?” asked Gou.

“The kitchen?”

“If he saw those schedules posted there…”

Seijuro grimaced. He had completely forgotten about the duel schedules hanging in the kitchen! He would have been sore pressed explaining that one to Matsuoka. The best excuse would have been he was keeping an eye on the competition and even that Matsuoka was unlikely to believe. _Just wanted to keep an eye on your sister, you know._ He could just picture himself saying something stupid like that. _Then I’d be the one sporting the shiner._

“Here.” He held out the notebook. “Best to keep this in the bedroom. I don’t think anyone else will be dropping by unexpectedly but best to stay on the safe side.”

She took it. “Should I move the schedule too?”

“I think that’ll be fine. I doubt many will go so far as into the kitchen and they’re pretty much identical anyway. You could write Samezuka’s name in place of Iwatobi’s and no one would know the difference.”

But then, if that were true...why _did_ they have both schedules hanging up if they were identical? _I…I don’t know._ He was too tired to figure out that conundrum.

“I’m going to head to bed,” he announced. “You should too. You need the sleep”

He turned to the couch and a slight frown pulled at the corner of his mouth. His pillow was on the opposite side from where it usually was. Gou…she had been using it _._ Vaguely he remembered she had before Matsuoka had shown up. Funny, that was something he never would have expected.

“What do we have tomorrow?”

“Swimming,” she answered right away. “Early in the morning.”

“Both teams?”

She nodded. “It’s a joint event like the one we had the second day we were here. I think they’re going to be cycling all the teams through throughout the day.”

 _They’re gauging our performance from when we first arrived._ Well considering they had been hung over the last time, tomorrow’s performance was likely to blow the last one out of the water.

Seijuro fell back onto the couch, an arm draped over his eyes. He hadn’t eaten much but he was too tired to eat. He didn’t even want to change out of his clothes. He’d sleep in what he wore today, so what if he stunk and he’d wake up feeling uncomfortable? Nothing mattered right now except the darkness having his eyes closed brought. “Anything else?”

Gou made a strange sound in her throat. “You _still_ don’t have it memorized?”

 _I don’t need to memorize it if you already have._ Seijuro made sure not to move his hand so Gou wouldn’t see his grin. She’d only yell at him for it and then she’d yell at him some more for him getting amused at her yelling at him.

“We have the afternoon free,” she continued. “And then the zoo that evening.”

He moved his hand slightly to look at her with one eye. “The zoo that evening? Isn't that normally a daytime activity?”

She gave him a flat look. “Did you even read the schedule? It’s a nocturnal zoo. It’s only open at night. That’s likely why we have the afternoon free.”

“Oh.”

It was a good thing Gou was around. He’d be lost otherwise, or he’d just surprise himself each day with what they were going to do. Was that what he had done before? He couldn’t really remember and then again he hadn’t many days before their little situation had developed into what it was. Already he had gotten so used to having Gou around he relied on her to know what they were doing.

“We still have to get up early though.”

“That we do. You should head to bed.”

There was another moment of silence. Seijuro could feel her presence at the end of the couch near his feet. She wasn’t moving.

“Um.” She hesitated. “I-if you want…I can sleep on the couch tonight. You can have the bed.”

This again, huh? Did she really feel so bad about it? _I gave her the bed of my own free will. She has no reason to feel bad about it._

“That’s alright. I’m fine on the couch.”

“A-are you sure? You look really tired.”

“You’re really tired too.”

She knew that was true and her face said so, but it also said ‘you look more tired than I am’. She felt bad about what had happened today and what he had to deal with because of it, which was why she was offering to let him have the bed. It was pretty sweet, even though it wasn’t her fault – _she_ hadn’t punched the poor guy. She would still feel responsible for it regardless.

“It’s fine,” he reiterated. “Really. The couch isn’t bad at all.”

Her face smoothed out. “O-okay.” She turned to head into the bedroom. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

The light in the hall went out a second later, bathing Seijuro in darkness, and he turned over. The couch wasn’t so bad. What a shitty lie that had been. He couldn’t even fit on it completely all stretched out. His feet hung off the edge when he did.

Still, it was fine. He preferred it this way. He wasn’t going to make Gou sleep on the couch while he took the bed. She might feel unwelcome if he did that and that was the last thing he wanted. She may not have come here on her own free will but here she was. Seijuro wanted her to feel like his home was her home.

_And it is…Because we’re married._

Seijuro sighed. He covered his face with the pillow and was glad when sleep took him quickly.

 

-

 

“I can’t believe you slept in your clothes.” Gou covered her nose as she headed towards the door. “You were wearing those all day, you know. Gross.”

“I’m not wearing them now!” Seijuro held the door open for her. “I even took a shower! I don’t stink!” He had even gotten up earlier than usual to do that. He had to beat Gou to the shower. If she got in there first he ended having to take a cold shower. _Is this what married couples fight about? Who gets to shower first so they get all the hot water?_ Seijuro wasn’t sure.

“Mmm,” hummed Gou. The ‘mmm’ really meant ‘thank god for that, I’m surprised you didn’t have flies buzzing around you’.

Seijuro scowled _._ Now she was making him worried that he smelled bad. He didn’t smell bad. Did he?

“Why shower when you’re just going to get into the pool anyway?” she asked, heading down the pathway. “Seems a little repetitive.”

Seijuro opened his mouth, stopped then tried again. “Because I slept in my clothes overnight?” He wasn’t going to admit it but he had felt pretty grungy when he had woken up this morning. He didn’t want to give Gou another reason to tell him he was gross though.

“…Good point.”

They parted at their usual place at the end of the walkway, Gou heading off to the Iwatobi lodges while Seijuro went to get his own swim team together.

“Noro’s hungover,” was the first thing he was greeted with upon arriving at their typical meeting place. “He didn’t realize we had swimming today so he went out drinking last night.”

Seijuro sighed. He would have thought his members would have learned their lesson after that first night but he guessed not. Then again they hadn’t woken up to a marriage certificate on their bedside table either. That was likely why they still indulged in it and Seijuro was willing to permit it so long as they weren’t stupid about it. He wasn’t about to let it get in the way of their practicing however. Not with a competition on the line.

“Tell him to get up and throw up if he needs to, but he’s coming. We hardly get any swim time as it is. He’ll have to toughen it out.”

The Samezuka members were generally good about being ready and being orderly, but there were always at least one or two people that forgot something or were running a little late. So while they weren’t necessarily late to wherever they were going, Iwatobi always managed to beat them. Today was no different.

Seijuro didn’t miss the scowl that crossed Matsuoka’s face at seeing the other team at the pool. It must be getting on his nerves seeing them all the time and constantly having them around no matter what activity they did.

_Well, not like anything can be done about it._

They didn’t speak much too each other. Each swim team was busy and it would be weird if they suddenly started socializing. Short acknowledgements and polite nods was the extent of their interaction. If the Iwatobi boys had tried anything further Goro would have started yelling they were wasting valuable time. Not that that stopped the coach from coming over to Seijuro and talking to him for several minutes, which Gou scolded him for.

The host country was there to watch them and while they weren’t writing anything down, Seijuro knew they would be collecting data regardless, whether it be only mentally. Nothing would be decided until the competition, and everything would be determined by _that,_ but it certainly didn’t hurt to make a good impression. Seijuro stayed out of the water and managed rather than focusing on himself. He needed to give his prime members the most swim time but also permit the others to improve or prove they too could be at the top. It was a delicate balance he had to focus more on given the circumstances – the limited swim times, the limited lanes they were allotted, the large amount of members they had -  therefore his own swim time was sacrificed.

The dual swimming time was not only valuable practice for themselves but a good time to evaluate the competition. Seijuro observed them out of the corner of his eye as he called out between sets. There were several Australian and US swimmers that were quite impressive, as well as a few from Hungary, China, and Brazil.

And then, of course, there was Haru. That swimming prodigy. Haru was an abnormality of nature, a person naturally born with an outstanding talent. He still had to put effort towards it in order to keep his speed up but it was minimal compared to others. Others had to throw themselves into it furiously to gain ahead, working at it like a dog at a bone or a man trying to break a concrete wall with his body alone. For Haru it was more like he had found something he loved doing and just happened to be extraordinary at almost as an afterthought. Some people would find that sort of blasé talent infuriating.

He called out recommendations when he needed to but for the most part Seijuro just maintained order and kept things running smoothly. At one point he heard Gou and Nagisa, who were in the lanes next to them, talking close by enough for him to hear.

“Nagisa, you need to be more streamlined. You’re creating too much water resistance. You need to-“ Gou paused to flip open her notebook and Seijuro was faintly glad Rin was in the water. If he happened to catch sight of Gou using the very same notebook Seijuro had decreed as being Rei’s last night, he might be in a little bit of trouble. “You need to start and end each stroke in a streamline.”

 _Using my words._ He held the whistle purposely in front of his mouth so Gou wouldn’t see him smiling if she looked over.

“What does that mean, Gou-chan?”

“It means, ideally, just under the surface of the water,” Rei answered. The taller teen attempted to peer over the top of Gou’s notebook to look at her writing more closely. “Where did you get those notes from, Gou-sempai? They sound vaguely familiar…”

Gou clutched the notebook protectively to her chest. “N-no where!” Was she blushing? “Y-you should get back in the water and work on your streamlining, Nagisa!”

“I still don’t even understand what that means,” Nagisa replied sulkily but slipped back into the water regardless.

“You got those notes from Captain Mikoshiba, didn’t you?” Rei accused and even Seijuro was impressed at how fast he had figured it out. “It has his knowledge written all over it.”

“Non-none of your business!” Gou spluttered. “Shouldn’t you be practicing?! C-coach Sasabe! Rei is-”

“D-don’t tell on me!” Rei flushed and Goro turned his wrath on the hapless teen, yelling at him for socializing instead of training.

Seijuro laughed and accidentally blew on his whistle, sending in swimmers at the wrong time. It took him several minutes to get the mess he had created straightened out.

They were allowed to swim most of the morning and into the early afternoon before being sent off for their rest period prior to going to the nocturnal zoo. As they made their way outside, waiting for other members to finish changing, Seijuro took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself when Gou stood by herself checking her phone, either sending a text or checking the time. The Iwatobi boys were close by but that was fine. So long as Samezuka, and Matsuoka especially, were elsewhere he could speak with her freely.

“Yo.”

She jumped a little at the unexpected greeting. “H-hey.”

 “I have something for you.” Seijuro dug into his pocket.

She blinked. “You have something for me?”

“Yeah.” He dug around for another moment then managed to extract it from his pocket. “Here.” He held it out to her.

She stared at the item in his hand. “A key?”

“Yeah. It’s to the house.”

“The house?”

He nodded. “This way you don’t have to worry if it’s locked or not.”

“A-are you sure?” She was still staring at the key hesitantly. “I mean it is your house.”

“It’s our house now, isn’t it?” said Seijuro. “Half and half. You live there too after all.”

Something crossed her face, something he was unable to identify. Some thought or memory from the past flashing through her mind perhaps.

 _Is…is she blushing again?_ He couldn’t believe it. Was she really so embarrassed receiving a key from him? Was that something embarrassing? Seijuro had thought it would be the most logical thing to do rather than force her to always text him and make sure he was there before being able to come over. Now he wasn’t so sure.

 _God now_ I’m _getting embarrassed._

He was about to tell her never mind, that it was a mistake, when she said, “O-okay.” She took the key from his hand. “When did you manage to get it made?” She slipped the key into her pocket.

“Yesterday after the hosts were finished scolding me.”

“O-oh. Is that why you were so late getting home?”

He nodded. Then he twisted his mouth, a thought suddenly occurring to him. “Speaking of which, how did you get in last night?” He was pretty sure he had locked the door.

She rubbed her hands together, looking embarrassed again. “I…I climbed through the window. Makoto helped.”

“…Oh.” _That’s…actually really impressive._ “Sorry to make you do that. But now you won’t have to do that. You can come and go as you please.”

“Y-yes.” She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“Gou.” Makoto called from behind her and she turned slightly.

“Time for us to go.” She turned back to him. “I’ll see you at the house later?”

Seijuro shook his head. “I’m going to stay here for a few hours. Azuma’s going to escort the team back, he can handle things.”

 “You’re going to stay here?”

He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the building. “I’m going to set some practice in. They’ve agreed to it since there’s a lull and it’s only me. Plus they understand the situation.”

“O-oh.” She turned to where the Iwatobi crew was starting to walk off. “I’ll see you at the zoo then.”

He watched them leave then he turned and headed back towards the pool. He had a few hours uninterrupted with no one to worry about himself. He’d best make the most of it while he could.

_-_

He tried to give himself enough time but he lost track of it while swimming and it was _he_ this time that made them late. _This will look poorly as me as a captain._ Luckily the swim members were too excited at the prospect of going somewhere at night rather than during the day, so no one made a comment about his lateness.

Although Noro had still been too hung over to come along. “How much did he drink last night?” asked Seijuro but the answers he got were vague.

“A drink or two…”

“I wasn’t watching him.”

“Some girls kept buying him drinks I heard. Lucky guy.”

“Not really. He didn’t get anything out of it but a hangover.”

“It’s farther than you’ve gotten.”

“What are we going to do at the nocturnal zoo, Captain?”

 _Changing the subject, huh?_ Seijuro made a mental note about who that person was. “Look at animals I suppose.” Honestly he had no idea and Gou wasn’t around for him to ask. Surely she would know. She was good about that sort of thing.

The zoo was close enough they could walk and so they met up with Iwatobi at the front. Nagisa had somehow already procured himself a funny looking hat that resembled a tiger head and green plastic sunglasses by the time Samezuka walked up. He had also purchased some stuff for Rei, who stood there looking like he wanted to melt into the ground underneath his hat of an ostrich and pink sunglasses.

“This isn’t beautiful at all,” he muttered.

“Rei-chan looks great!” protested Nagisa. He put a finger to his lips. “Do you not like ostriches?”

“It has nothing to do with ostriches! I told you to get the butterfly one!”

“Can you even see out of those things?” Seijuro couldn’t help but ask curiously. It was night after all.

“Barely,” Nagisa acknowledged. He adjusted the glasses to peak over the top of them. “But that’s the fun of it! And Rei-chan, he can’t see without his glasses on regardless of the sunglasses or not.”

Rei spluttered but even he, smart as he was, couldn’t think of a proper protest.

Seijuro left the two to their antics to greet the others. “You didn’t buy anything, Gou-kun?”

“It’s Kou,” she replied what seemed like automatically. She dug into her pocket. “I bought a map.”

“A map?” That sounded incredibly boring compared to the stuff Nagisa had purchased. But indeed it was a map, a map of the zoo. It depicted all the trails and exhibits as well as any other significant areas like food stops. Trust in Gou to think of something like that. “That’s great, Gou-kun! Now we’ll know where to go.”

“Well, one of us needs to be prepared.” She tucked the map back into her pocket. “And it’s Kou!”

The host gathered them together quickly and after a check in process that took a little while, she led them to an area just inside the zoo where a tram was waiting for them. The tram consisted of three different cars with three seats to each row.

“This is one of four nocturnal zoos in the entire world!” the host told them. “It was built ten years ago and features over two thousand animals in their naturalistic nighttime habitats! Tonight we will be taking you on a guided tram tour ride that will take you across seven geographical zones of the world! The animals will be right beside you so you’ll be able to see them up close and personal! But please don’t try and pet them or touch them in any way!”

“They’re not caged?” whispered Makoto.

“I’m sure it will just be herbivore animals,” said Rei from under his ostrich hat.

“I bet it’s going to be fun!” Nagisa was moving around so much his glasses were about to fall off. “I hope there are lions and tigers and bears!”

“They won’t have those out roaming about freely!”

“Mackerel,” Haru said mysteriously, and Seijuro was unable to determine if he meant he wanted to eat some mackerel or he hoped they would feature mackerel on the tour somehow. Maybe both.

“Now!” The host clapped her hands. “To make things easier let’s stick pretty closely with the same assigned seats we’ve been using on the bus.” She pointed to Seijuro, Gou, and Makoto. “Leaders in the front!” She beamed.

 “O-oh.” Gou rubbed her hand on the bottom of her face, glancing discreetly behind herself.

She had to be looking for her brother, and Seijuro was careful to not turn and look himself. If he did Matsuoka might feel like Seijuro was trying to rub it in his face or something.

He ended up between Gou and Makoto. It would have made a little more sense for Gou, the smallest of them, to take the middle seat but she had climbed in first – likely because she wanted the seat with the rail next to it - and he had followed. The seats were small and there wasn’t much room between them, especially considering Makoto and Seijuro’s larger than average heights. Neither male could stretch out their legs comfortably without hitting the metal wall in front of them and their shoulders were practically brushing against each other. Seijuro would have liked to scoot over a bit more but that might have made Gou uncomfortable. So he stayed squished up against Makoto and was a little relieved Makoto understood the situation. Otherwise he might be a little freaked out having him so close.

In the seat directly behind them Haru, Nagisa, and Rei had piled in. Haru looked a bit put out. Had he wanted to sit next to Makoto? The two did seem awfully close. _I’d gladly switch with you if I could, Nanase._

 Matsuoka was all the way on the third bus, mostly out of sight and out of earshot. Still, Seijuro swore he could feel the other boy’s gaze burning into the back of his skull regardless.

Once they were all seated the host clapped her hands. “Very good! Now that you’re all set, we’ll begin!” The tram started with the sound a lawn mower makes and it jerked violently forward once before settling out. The host waved to them. “Please enjoy your tour! Remember to not make too much noise! Otherwise the animals won’t come out!”

As the tram started its journey Gou held out the map for them to look at. “This is the way we’ll be taking.” She traced a line with a finger. “We’ll start off going through the Himalayan Foothills. It’s mostly different kinds of mountain goat and sheep.”

“Good,” said Makoto. “Herbivores. I like those.”

“Then it’s the Asian Riverine Forest,” she continued. “That has tapirs and bearded pigs.” She grimaced. “B-but after that…it’s Africa.”

“Africa?” asked Seijuro.  
“It consists of a hyena and hippo exhibit.”

“Hy-hyenas?” Makoto gulped.

Gou’s smile was more strained than comforting. “I-I’m sure they’re caged.”

“Don’t worry, Mako-chan!” Nagisa’s hand fell on Makoto’s shoulder, startling the taller teen. “Animals can sense good in people! I bet they’ll love you!”

“They’ll love eating me you mean!”

“That is unlikely,” said Rei. “Predators typically go after the wounded, the sick, or the young. In this case they are much more likely to attack Gou-sempai before the rest of us.”

The map scrunched in Gou’s hands as she tightened her grip, eyelids lowered to half mast. “Thanks. Thanks a lot.”

“I’m sure they’d go after Nagisa first,” said Seijuro. “He’s louder. They’d be more drawn to all the noise he makes.”

Nagisa’s burst of laughter even drew the attention of the man driving the tram. “Captain Mikoshiba is so cruel!”

“Regardless, in the case of being attacked by a predator,” Rei continued, “you don’t have to be the fastest in order to survive.”

All of them, but Haru, who just looked bored, blinked, not understanding.

Haru sighed. “You just have to be faster than the slowest person is what he means.”

Nagisa burst out laughing again and Gou mumbled, “Is that Haru’s version of a joke?”

Seijuro could only shrug back.

The Himalayan Foothills exhibits were nice and calm. As Gou had said there were different types of hoofed creatures residing there. The tram driver stopped the tram for several minutes, rattling off facts about the animals, and pointing them out by species. There was one animal Seijuro found most interesting. The largest goat in the world, the markhor, which had a beard that would put any Guinness record holder to shame. Some of the animals came within feet of the tram but everyone, even Makoto, was relatively relaxed in their presence. The main thing that seemed to frighten the Iwatobi captain was the rustling of the leaves and grass when the animals moved out of the sight of the lights of the tram, things in the dark he couldn’t see. It seemed like suspense was really the thing Makoto was scared of.

The Asian riverine area went just as smoothly. There were lots of tapirs sedately grazing on grass though they saw no sign of the bearded pigs, which disappointed Nagisa.

“The tapir kind of looks like a pig,” said Rei, as if trying to appease Nagisa. “Although they are more closely related to odd-toed ungulates, like horses and rhinos.”

“Rei-chan is so smart,” said Nagisa and Rei blushed.

 _Come to think of it those two seem awfully close too_ , Seijuro reflected. The Iwatobi team was certainly a strange one.

They left the Asian Riverine area and started to transgress into the Africa area. As they drove it only got darker and the vegetation denser. Makoto jerked and twitched with every noise that came. “Now we are approaching the hyena and hippo visit!” said the driver. “It is good to note that hippos are extremely aggressive and territorial, and are the cause of the most deaths in Africa than any other wildlife! Please make sure not to make any sudden movements!”

“Is he joking?” whispered Makoto furiously.

“I want to see the hippos!” said Nagisa.

The foliage became so dense even the tram lights had difficulty penetrating. Makoto shrank back and when there came some rustling, he let out a sound somewhere between a bleat and a squeak. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered under his breath. “There is something seriously wrong with this country.”

“Surely they’ll be in cages.” Seijuro looked over to find Gou stretching her neck and looking around. “They wouldn’t leave dangerous animals like that out with people around them, would they?”

Was she nervous. She looked a little nervous. An idea crossed Seijuro’s mind and he had to fight to not let the grin show on his face. Was it a good idea? No, no, it wasn’t. _It’s a great idea!_ No, it wasn’t, at all! But still he couldn’t resist. Besides guys were _supposed_ to offer stuff like this if a girl got scared around them.

“If you get scared,” he tried to sound casual, “you can always grab onto me.”

Her face flushed. “I-I don’t need something like th-”

There came the snapping of a twig and a grunt and the bushes next to them moved. Makoto yelped and before Seijuro knew what was happening Makoto flung himself towards him and wrapped his arms around Seijuro’s bicep. Gou froze for a moment. Then her whole face scrunched and she made the sound a balloon might make when it deflates.

Seijuro sat there staring for a long moment, not entirely sure how to react to this. “I didn’t mean for _you_ to grab onto me…”

Nagisa laughed. “Makoto is scared!”

“It’s scary!” said Makoto, who had still failed to let go of Seijuro’s arm. There was more rustling and he only tightened his hold. “Why do they have hyenas and hippos roaming about?! They should be cages!”

Out of the corner of his eye Seijuro saw Haru’s mouth drop a little. The quiet teen crossed his arms over his chest and glared out at the darkness. He actually looked like he was pouting.

Nagisa noticed it too. “Haru-chan, don’t worry!” he cried out. “I’ll grab onto you!” Then he promptly latched onto the dark haired teen like a squirrel to a tree.

“But then who will I grab onto then, Nagisa-kun?” wailed Rei. “It’s scary for me too!”

“Don’t be scared, Rei-chan! You can grab onto me!”

With a rather unmanly squeal Rei fell against Nagisa, grasping onto the smaller one’s shoulder. Poor Haru was squished against the railing as Nagisa held onto him and Rei onto Nagisa.

Gou was having a very hard time stifling her laughter, which was coming out in grunts. Her eyes were so wide they looked like they were about to pop out of her head.

Her noises were attaching a bit of attention. Seijuro could hear his members muttering in curiosity, and when he glanced over his shoulder he saw it was more than just curiosity they were drawing. Matsuoka was glowering over at them, an almost scowl on his face.

Seijuro managed to prevent the grimace from crossing his own face. “Gou-kun, uhhh,” he said. He tried to think of something that would distract her. “Would you like some water?” _Shit, I don’t even have any water._ A plus planning by Seijuro.

“D-d-” Gou was wiping a tear away. “Dun cull me Gou-kun.”

Makoto, who had finally started to release Seijuro’s arm, suddenly latched on once again when there came more rustling. Gou let out another spluttering laugh.

“Gou-chan, shhh!” said Nagisa. “You’re going to scare all the animals away!”

She covered her whole face with her hands in an effort to stifle it. She flopped like a fish trying to contain her laughter.

Seijuro watched her with a hooded expression. “I’m glad you’re amused by this,” he commented dryly. “My arm is starting to go numb.”

Gou fought it for all of three seconds. Then she burst out like a volcano erupting and was unable to stop. And that was how they got kicked off the tour.

 

-

 

“I’m-I’m really sorry, guys.” Her statement might have been believable if not for the spurts of laughter she was still fighting to control. “I really-” Snort. “Am.”

Rei’s half lidded eyes regarded her. “You’re not a very good liar, are you, Gou-sempai?”

For some reason that only made her laugh more. She waved a hand, unable to form a vocal response it seemed, then toddled off into a corner to try and contain her bubbling laughter.

All six of them had gotten kicked off the tram. For being too rowdy, the driver had said, and frightening away the animals. Funny, Seijuro would have thought the animals would be frightening them rather than the other way around.

How embarrassing. Seijuro, Makoto, and Gou were supposed to be in charge and here they were, enduring their punishment. _We’re setting some pretty poor examples here._ Still at least _this_ time no one had gotten punched in the face. Now if Matsuoka had been allowed off the tram with them like he had wanted, then someone might have been. _Most likely me._  

He sighed and flexed his arm.He was finally starting to get feeling back into it. Makoto had quite a grip. He might have lost the arm if they hadn’t gotten kicked off.

Well, all things considered it wasn’t too terrible. The rest of his swim team would be fine on the tram. It was a controlled enough environment he didn’t have to worry about having someone in charge. So while getting kicked off would certainly reflect poorly on him, it wasn’t disastrous.

 “We didn’t even get to see the hippos!” Nagisa moaned. “I wanted to see them!”

“Those are dangerous, Nagisa!” Makoto stressed. He had been sitting on the curve with his head in his hands, though whether it was from embarrassment or fear Seijuro didn’t know. Haru had been hovering over him like a mother hen. It was…actually kind of cute.

“Didn’t you hear the tour guide?” Makoto continued. “They kill people!”

“Exactly! It would have been exciting!”

“Your idea of excitement and other’s are completely different,” muttered Rei, which only made Nagisa laugh bashfully.

“Still, I wanted to see the animals! What’s the point of coming to the zoo if you don’t get to see anything?” demanded Nagisa. “

Seijuro pulled out his phone. The screen glowed as he checked the time. “Well, we do have some time to kill. The tram won’t be done for another hour and a half. If we want, we can walk around and see some exhibits.”

Nagisa’s eyes lit up like he had just been told his birthday had come early. “Yes, let’s do that! Gou!” He turned about to try and locate her.

“It’s Kou.” She stepped away from the rock wall she had been leaning against. She had finally managed to stop laughing. It was sort of amazing she hadn’t laughed herself to death.

“Gou,” Nagisa said promptly, “what’s on the map?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but still pulled out the map and held it so all could see. The boys leaned in close to look.

“I want to do the cave of bats!” Nagisa said almost immediately.

“I’d like to see the flamingos,” said Rei.

“They don’t have any water exhibits,” observed Haru.

“They have otter exhibits, Haru-chan! Those have water.”

“Anything that has bars or moats between the animals and us,” mumbled Makoto. “No more exhibits where the animals are running free to eat us.”

“Oh, look!” Nagisa pointed eagerly at a spot. “The Bridge of Suspense! Let’s do that!”

“Absolutely not!”

“It’ll be fun, Mako-chan!”

“They should have a butterfly exhibit,” said Rei. “It is not very beautiful for them to not have that.”

“Butterflies aren’t active during the day,” Haru informed him.

“The Cave of Terror!” Nagisa clutched the edge of the map like it was a life line and leaned so close his nose nearly touched the paper. “We _have_ to do that!”

“I’m not doing anything that has terrible words like _that_ in it!” Makoto refused to budge on the matter.

Gou sighed again like a mother who was dealing with too many toddlers. “We’re not going to be able to do anything if you guys can’t agree.”

“Let’s do it all then!” said Nagisa.

“I don’t think we have enough time for that…”

“We might.” Seijuro leaned forward to look over the other boys’ shoulders. “If we keep it to what everyone wants to see and make short cuts. And look.” He traced a path on the map. “There’s a path here that goes around that Cave of Terror. Tachibana-san can take that rather than go through the cave.”

Nagisa beamed at him like he had just solved the hardest math problem in existence or something. “See! Sei-chan has it all figured out! It’s no wonder he’s the captain of such a great swim team!”

 _Sei-chan?_ Seijuro wasn’t sure how to respond to that. At least Nagisa hadn’t been calling him that in front of his swim team. He would never hear the end of it otherwise. And maybe he was a little flattered to hear that last part.

Makoto rubbed his chin. “Captain Mikoshiba does have a point. If we do stick to just what we want to see we might be able to cover it all.”

“Let’s do it!” Nagisa tore himself away from the map. “Come on, Rei-chan! Let’s go through the Cave of Terror!”

“I never agreed to such a thing!” He still followed him regardless.

“Let’s do the otters first,” Haru declared, already taking off towards it. Makoto trailed after him, protesting that they should stick together.

Gou watched them walk off in different directions. She peered down at the map. “This is going to be a lot of ground to cover. On top of your swim practice, you guys are going to be exhausted.”

“I bet it will be fun.”

“Oh, I bet it will be too.” Gou folded the map and placed it back in her pocket. She started forward and Seijuro walked with her. “But it’s going to be exhausting. I mean you should see these guys shop for swim suits! Exhausting.”

“Are you kidding! Shopping for swim suits is the best!”

“…My point exactly.”

 

-

 

The walk back to their housing was quiet and serene. Iwatobi had departed a short while ago for their lodges, leaving Samezuka to itself. Gou had gone with them. It wouldn’t do having her continue walking with Samezuka when the rest of Iwatobi had left so she had had no choice but to go along with them. She would likely spend the night over at Iwatobi. Seijuro couldn’t blame her for that. In her situation he would likely have done the same and one night wouldn’t hurt.

Some of the Samezuka members chattered softly but for the most part it was quiet. Everyone was tired and it had been a very long day for everyone.

Gou had been right. Seijuro was incredibly exhausted. From the flamingos, to the otters, to the Bridge of Suspense. They had gone from one corner of the zoo to the other multiple times. It had been a great time had by all. Exhausting but worth it.

Worth it, like when they had been in the Cave of Terror, a tunnel that was dark and full of bat exhibits that wouldn’t have been scary if not for the noises they made without any forewarning. Gou – who likely came just so Nagisa wouldn’t comment on her being scared - had jumped at one of those noises, gasping, and then, quite unexpectedly, she had immediately ducked over into Seijuro’s presence like it was the most natural thing in the world. How funny, to think she may trust him to keep her safe.

Seijuro couldn’t stop the smile from developing on his face. His feet hurt terribly and his legs felt like lead, and he knew he was going to be super sore tomorrow but it was worth it. _Completely worth it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning on doing a Mikoshiba PoV chapter this early but I couldn't really do his conversation with Rin from Gou's PoV so I just went ahead and tweaked the rest of the chapter to be from his PoV instead. This fic just kind of does what it wants anyway, I just work here.


	10. Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention last chapter that the nocturnal zoo is a real thing. The first one ever created is in Sweden and it sounds amazing! Seriously, check it out. I know where my next vacation is going to be!
> 
> I went through and cleaned up Chapter 8 and 9, and will likely touch on the other chapters as well. Nothing that requires a reread but I added some detail and dialogue where I felt it was lacking and fixed a few typos and grammatical errors. If you see any, please let me know.

It was late when they got back to the lodges, nearly midnight. Despite the late hour and the fact she had gotten up early, Gou found herself unable to go to sleep right away. Maybe it was the excitement they had experienced going about the zoo still coursing through her or she was so tired she had passed tired and had given herself a second wind. Whatever the reason she was restless. If she tried to go to sleep she would just toss and turn in the bed, and likely only be a disturbance for Amakata. Gou wasn’t entirely sure what the literature teacher did all day but Amakata wouldn’t be very appreciative if Gou went in there and caused a ruckus.

_Maybe it’s because I switch where I sleep so often._ The frequent changing of her surroundings must be affecting her. She had been at Mikoshiba’s place for six days and seven nights, and one of those nights she had stayed at Iwatobi. _I have been bed hopping an awful lot. That must be it._ Then again she never seemed to have a problem sleeping when she was at Mikoshiba’s place.

Mikoshiba’s place. _Our place._ That’s whathe had said. _Our house. Half and half._

She slipped a hand into her pocket and pulled out the bronze colored key. She held it in her palm. It was just a piece of metal. If anyone else found it lying on the street it would be insignificant. But to her it was so much more.

  _“When you’re married you’re supposed to do everything by halves.”_ Her mother’s words. The words Mikoshiba had used.

_Why…Why did he have to use those exact words?_

He could have said something else- _anything_ else but that. Instead he had used those exact words. The same words as her mother. Her gaze traced up from the key in her palm to the pearl ring on her finger. Mikoshiba’s key and the pearl ring intended for her mother. And the same exact words.

The door to the back deck slid open and Gou looked up to find Makoto stepping outside. “Can’t sleep either?”

He shook his head. “I think Nagisa found one of those saltwater drinks when no one was looking. He’s been bouncing off the walls since we got back. He keeps insisting on having Rei model the stuff he got from the zoo. He’s been trying to get Haru to do it too for the last half hour.”

Gou stifled a laugh with her hand. “Did Nagisa succeed?”

“He somehow convinced Haru to put on a fish hat. I think he told him it was a mackerel that only swam free or something. God knows where he got that. I’m not even sure how he managed to buy so much stuff.”

 “O-oh.” Gou was still trying to fight down her laughter. Maybe Nagisa had spent all his money and was assuming they’d win the swimming competition and he’d get it all back. That would be a route of thinking Nagisa’s mind would take. “You…you didn’t get a picture of it did you?”

Makoto sighed. “My phone is too crummy to do that. And even if I did, Haru would only make me delete it.” He looked at the key in her hands. “What’s that?”

“A key.” She held it up for him to see.

“A key?”

“It’s from Mikoshiba. It’s for the house.”

Makoto raised an eyebrow but Gou did not respond to that silent inquisition. There wasn’t much else to say anyway.

He took a seat on the edge of the picnic table, facing Gou from where she sat on the railing. “You uhhh…you two seeming to be getting along a lot better.”

She shrugged. “We’re friends.”

He smiled. “Nagisa got to you, didn’t he?”

“Yeah.” She smiled back. “He did.” Who knew Nagisa would be a good person to take advice from. Still, he had been right. Not being Mikoshiba’s friend and holding him at a distance would only make things harder. They were definitely on better, even friendly, terms.

She didn’t say any of these things to Makoto but he still saw them, years of reading Haru’s vague expressions coming into play. He opened his mouth to say something but paused when the door opened. Haru stood in the entryway. Gou was a little disappointed that his head was bare and he was no longer wearing that fish hat Makoto had mentioned. She would have really enjoyed seeing the stoic teen wearing something that ridiculous.

He glanced between the two, seemingly understanding they were having a conversation, then turned his gaze Makoto’s way before moving onto the deck.

“Its fine,” Makoto responded and Haru moved out of the doorway and sat down beside him.

Gou gave a slight shake of her head. The two of them together sometimes made her feel like she was watching a Star Trek episode with telepathic aliens or something. She wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or creeped out by their strange mental communications.

“You still want to get a divorce, don’t you?” asked Makoto, returning to what he had been about to say before Haru had interrupted.

“Of course!” Gou didn’t even need a second to answer. “Why wouldn’t I?” _Any_ other thought besides getting a divorce was simply inconceivable and she could never imagine having any other thought but that. “There’s nothing that can change my mind about that,” she said with certainty. “I mean, there’s so much else I want to experience…”

Haru gave an odd twitch. Makoto glanced his way but Haru said nothing and Makoto did not give a translation for that action.

“Alright, I understand.” Makoto yawned and stretched. “Did Nagisa head to bed?”

“He did,” said Haru. “He sugar crashed and passed out on the couch. Rei took him to bed.”

Gou pursed her lips, wondering in what way was Haru implying that Rei took Nagisa to bed exactly? She couldn’t tell and even if she asked it was unlikely Haru would give her an explanation.

“We should head to bed too then,” said Makoto and once again Gou wondered in what way was that statement being implied. “Are you going to be staying at the other lodge, Gou?”

“Yeah. It’s too late to head over to Mikoshiba’s so I’ll stay here tonight. I have some extra clothes stashed in Amakata’s room I can use.”

“Alright.” Makoto rose and Haru with him. “Good night, Gou.”

“Night.” The two departed and the house steadily fell into darkness as they turned off the lights. In the dim light of the deck lights, Gou looked once more at the key in her palm. _It’s just a key,_ she told herself. _An item for convenience. Nothing more._

She tucked it into her pocket and headed towards the other lodge, putting the key out of her thoughts.

 

-

 

It was their free day the next day. Gou slept in as long as she could, which wasn’t long with Amakata in the room. For a person who was not that big she sounded like a giant as she moved about and Gou found herself giving up on sleep once the teacher started using her blow dryer. There was no way she was going to sleep while it sounded like there was a jet engine in the room.

She showered and got dressed before heading over to the other lodge, and by the time she arrived the boys were awake as well.

“Today’s our free day!” Nagisa stretched in the sunlight pouring in through the window. “Let’s go back to the zoo! I want to see the hippos!”

“I am absolutely not going back there!” Makoto protested. “Didn’t you get your fill from last night anyway? My legs were so sore I had trouble sleeping last night…”

“Mine were quite sore too,” Rei agreed. “Besides, it’s a nocturnal zoo, Nagisa-kun. It won’t be open during the day.”

“Oh, that is right.” Nagisa scratched the top of his head. “What are we going to do today then?” No answers were immediately forthcoming. “What’s Sei-chan doing, Gou-chan?”

_Sei-chan again?_ Gou pushed the magazine she had been looking at away. It was another one of those swimming magazines someone had taken from Goro. Who kept stealing them she wasn’t sure. Probably Nagisa, although why he was stealing them was still a mystery. Maybe he was doing it simply to see if Goro would manage to catch him or not. “They’re swimming today.”

It was one of the few days they had separately from each other. Tomorrow their days would switch and Iwatobi would be swimming. She knew that simply from having the schedule memorized and not because she had heard anything from Mikoshiba. She hadn’t heard from him at all this morning. Now that she had a key there had been no reason for them to text each other. He was likely busy with his own swim team anyway.

“Two swimming days in a row?” asked Makoto. “That’s unusual.”

“It’s because next week is a holiday of some sort for the country.” Gou leaned her elbow on the counter and placed her chin in her palm. “That’s something we need to talk about by the way. There won’t be any swimming next week. We’ll have a swimming day tomorrow but after that there won’t be any for at least a week.”

Makoto frowned. “That’s a long time to go without any practice and a competition coming up.”

“No swimming at all?” asked Nagisa.

“They’re closing the pool down for that week. We won’t have access to it.” She tapped a finger against the side of her mouth. “I’ve heard that some swimming teams are renting gym pools for that week but I don’t believe we have the funds for that, do we?”

“Highly unlikely,” said Makoto.

“Ama-chan will pay for it!” Nagisa fisted his hands in front of his chest. “She’s our generous advisor!”

“I doubt she has that kind of money,” Rei muttered. “And even if she did I can’t foresee her paying for it regardless.”

“Well then if we can’t afford a pool what are we going to do?” pressed Nagisa but like his question earlier no answers were forthcoming.

“We’ll figure out something,” said Makoto encouragingly. “We have some time to think about it and decide.” He stretched his arms over his head. “In the meantime, what are we going to do today?”

 

-

 

They ended up shopping. For swimsuits. Gou couldn’t believe it. Each of the four boys had so many swimsuits, especially Nagisa, that it likely put her entire wardrobe to shame and here they were shopping for them again.

“What better thing to do then try on a different country’s swimsuit?” Nagisa had exclaimed when Gou had questioned them about it.  “We don’t have any swimsuits from this country after all!”

Rei had enthusiastically agreed with him and even Haru had seemed partial to the idea. Gou knew she was fighting a losing battle.

She tagged along out of sheer boredom. Amakata and Goro had disappeared to do some adult stuff she could only assume, and Samezuka was busy swimming. She had no choice but to go along with Iwatobi or go off on her own, something she wasn’t entirely comfortable with doing. While the country seemed safe enough she couldn’t speak or read the native language and would likely only get hopelessly lost and frustrated.

She amused herself for a time watching the boys go in and out of the changing booths like a merry-go-round, enjoying the free show she was receiving of half naked muscular torsos. Haru kept trying on the same type of swimsuit again and again, even though he insisted it was different. Rei always managed to find the weirdest and most hideous things to try on, babbling about their psychological impact. And Nagisa…For some strange reason the country offered bikinis for men, and for some even stranger reason Nagisa had decided to try them on. Whatever, she wasn’t going to question it. It just presented more muscle to look at.

_Gluteus maximus._

It was a bit odd to her that the boys enjoyed modeling the swimsuits for each other so much. She would have assumed they would just go into the changing room, try whatever they needed to on, and then decide themselves then and there if they wanted it or not based off the fit and the way they saw it in the mirror rather than parade it around in front of their friends and get their opinions. That seemed more like something girls would want to do. Then again maybe it was a good thing. If not for the others opinions Rei would be wearing some truly atrocious stuff that should never be seen in public. He could end up blinding some poor kid and then what?

After about an hour Gou could feel the sparkle of observing muscles steadily fading though. Watching them feverishly try stuff on was making her feel exhausted so she walked away to find something to drink and to take a break. She lucked out and found a juice bar close by and after some exaggerated hand gestures and pointing was able to indicate to the clerk what she wanted and how much she needed to pay.

With her juice in hand (something called boysenberry and chirstmas melon – maybe she had just gotten it because it had the word Christmas in it) Gou sat down at a nearby table and people watched for a bit. There were quite a few groups of young men all heading towards the swimsuit store. She could only assume they were other swimming teams visiting the country, what with their muscular builds and all. _They all love shopping for swimsuits._

Her phone went off quite suddenly, making that ugly beeping sound she had come to associate with receiving a text message. _Mikoshiba?_ It was the only person she could think of who would text her outside of the Iwatobi boys. She dug the phone out of her bag and looked at it. It wasn’t Mikoshiba. However the number the phone displayed made her eyes widen and she nearly started bouncing in her seat. Quickly she pushed the read key. A huge smile spread across her face. _The day has finally come!_

 

-

 

She shoved the phone so close to Makoto he had to lean back so he could read it. “Hana-chan will be here tomorrow!”

He blinked rapidly at the screen. “Hana-chan?”

“My friend on the debate team!” She cradled the phone with its precious message in her hand.

Shortly after getting her new phone she had messaged her new number to Hana. Hana had messaged back a confirmation and that she would let Gou know when they were on their way. Since then the two hadn’t communicated at all due to how expensive the international charges were. The last few days Gou had been waiting anxiously to hear from Hana with an arrival date. She knew the day was creeping up and now it was finally here!

 “Hana-chan?” asked Nagisa. “Isn’t that the girl with the weird hairstyle?”

“You’re so rude!” Gou chided. “But yes, it is.”

Hana was coming! She was finally coming and would be here tomorrow! Gou was as excited as the boys had been about swimsuit shopping. It was going to be so nice having another girl around. Outside of Amakata she had been surrounded by boys for what seemed like ages now.

“Would it be alright if I went and met up with her tomorrow? I mean I know it’s our swimming day but…”

It was selfish of her but she wanted to see Hana desperately. Hana had no idea about anything that had happened since Gou had departed Japan. And well, there was…quite a lot to tell her.

Makoto obliged her regardless. “I’m sure it won’t hurt if you take one day off,” he said, smiling at her. “I mean your friend is flying in. You should go meet her.”

Gou clapped her hands together. “Thanks, Makoto! I knew you’d understand.” _This guy is going to spoil his kids rotten when he has them._

As they walked down the street Nagisa held up a small piece of white cloth that looked like underwear. “Look what I got, Gou-chan!”

Gou’s initial reaction was to tell him not to bring stuff like that out in public but then she stopped and narrowed her eyes at the small piece of material dangling from his grasp. “Is that one of those men’s bikinis?”

Nagisa jerked the cloth back like she had threatened to steal it. “It is not a bikini!” he objected. “It’s a new kind of speedo! It’s an important piece of sportswear!”

“How in God’s name is _that_ sportswear?”

“It’s designed to lower water resistance,” said Rei. He pushed his glasses further onto his nose, sunlight reflecting off the surface so she was unable to see his eyes. “I bought one as well.”

_You have got to be kidding me._ They looked like ladies underwear. How could anyone but a small toddler swim in that? She looked at Makoto. Haru wouldn’t buy one because he only wore one kind of swimsuit but Makoto was a different story. “Please don’t tell me you bought one too?”

“No, no, I didn’t.” There was a faint hinting of red across Makoto’s cheeks. “They…They don’t carry them in the size I need.”

 

-

 

The rest of the day was relatively quiet. They spent sometime wandering around parks and trying out more of the local cuisine. They even took a ride on a carriage that went around the smaller streets of downtown to give their legs a break from walking. All of them were still a bit sore after the zoo last night and all the walking they had done then. Poor Mikoshiba must be in a world of hurt if he had decided to swim with his team today. More than likely he would manage the team instead and stay out of the water to give his sore muscles a break.

They made a side trip the food store as well for Gou’s sake. That way she could store some food at Mikoshiba’s place and not eat all of his.

“Are you going to cook for Sei-chan?” asked Nagisa upon seeing her full basket. “You’re really trying to be a good wife, aren’t you, Gou-chan?”

“Yes, that’s very domestic of you,” Rei commented as well.

Gou’s face burned like a hot plate. “These are for me, you jerks!”

“You should have bought a bikini at the swimsuit store to model for Sei-chan too,” said Nagisa.

Gou’s skin was going to set on fire. She lobbed a box of cereal at him, which only ended up exploding and sending cereal scattering everywhere when he dodged it. Gou was forced to pay for the wrecked cereal and apologize profusely to the poor employee who had to clean it up.

_God._ She used a few colorful phrases in her head. If Mikoshiba heard anything that Nagisa was saying it would be beyond terrible. _Way_ beyond. Gou would probably book _herself_ a trip back to Japan in that case, competition and money be damned.

Then again Nagisa did seem to tone it down when Mikoshiba was around. He was a bit more careful with his words when Gou and Mikoshiba were together. He probably just liked to tease Gou about it when the Samezuka Captain was absent because it amused him. _That little…_

“Gou.” Makoto ‘s smile was incredibly strained. “Please put down that cereal box.”

They managed to get out of the store and back to the Iwatobi lodges without destroying anymore food or Gou killing Nagisa. She remained there until they had dinner, deciding to depart shortly after that to head back to Mikoshiba’s before it got too dark. It was Rei who accompanied her instead of Makoto to help carry the groceries, stating he wanted to talk to Mikoshiba about another tutor session.

Gou hadn’t heard from Mikoshiba all day and she hadn’t texted him either. Whenever she thought to send a message her mind would draw a complete blank as to what she should say. She had no questions to ask him and simply sending him a text to see what he was doing made her feel weird and embarrassed. He’d likely wonder why the heck she would send such a thing and not respond or ask her if she needed something instead. So she hadn’t texted him at all.

He was sitting on the couch and massaging his calves when they walked in. “Yo.” He paused a second at seeing someone else with her. “Hey, Rei.”

“Good evening, Captain Mikoshiba.” Rei greeted pleasantly. _So proper._ Despite Mikoshiba calling Rei by his first name Rei still insisted on calling Mikoshiba by his full title.

Gou went into the kitchen with her groceries, leaving the two of them to their swimming talk. Putting away her food was fairly easy. Since the residence was temporary, Mikoshiba didn’t have too much and there was ample space for her. _Half maybe?_ She mentally slapped herself.

She walked back into the living when she was done and Rei had already departed after talking with Mikoshiba for a few minutes.

“What did you do all day?” Mikoshiba was still leaning over rubbing his calf. His legs must have been hurting him.

“Nothing much really.” She sat down on the couch. “The boys went swimsuit shopping.”

Those last two words made Mikoshiba’s eyes light up like lighthouses. “That’s what we’re planning to do tomorrow for our free day.” Was he about to start drooling? “I’m so excited!”

She could see that. Maybe it was a swimmers thing, getting excited about buying new swimsuits _._ That made her think of the message she had received while shopping with the Iwatobi boys and she smiled gleefully. “My friend is flying in tomorrow!”

“Your friend?”

“Hana-chan,” said Gou, although he would still have no idea who she was talking about regardless. The two had never met. “She’s coming to compete with her debate team.”

“Oh, a friend from your school?

She nodded.

“I bet that will be nice.” He stretched his legs out on the table in front of them. “I’m glad tomorrow is our free day,” he commented. “My legs are really sore.”

“You swam today?”

“Of course.” He looked at her in surprise. “We have a competition coming up. We have to swim as much as we can before then. Especially with the restricted time we currently have.” He frowned. “After the first competition I’m sure there will be more swimming time since there will be so many fewer teams. That will be when things become truly serious.”

_He’s already talking like Samezuka has gotten past the first competition._ Not that she could blame him. Samezuka was a swimming powerhouse for a reason. They were incredibly good and Gou would honestly be amazed if they didn’t progress in at least one area or other. Clearly there was no doubt in Mikoshiba’s mind that they would be progressing.

“Hey, what are you planning to do for next week? You know the pool is going to be closed that week, right?”

He nodded. “We’re looking to rent a pool. I placed a bid for one to the south of here this morning. All the pools in the immediate vicinity have already been rented. We’ll have to do a little bit of traveling but I’m fairly certain we’ll be able to find something.”

“Oh.” So he already had it all planned out.But Samezuka had a cushy budget on hand to use to do such thing due to their long record of accomplishments. Unlike Iwatobi who had…none. _Well, hopefully this trip will fix that._

“What is Iwatobi going to do?”

“We’re not sure yet,” she admitted. “We’re going to try and figure out something that will let us get some swimming in though.”

“Not going to rent a pool?”

Gou grimaced. “N-no…We don’t have the money for that.”

“O-oh.” He tilted his head away. “Sorry to hear.”

It must be a foreign concept to him, not having enough money to do something when it came to their swim team. _Lucky, lucky ._ If only Iwatobi had that sort of money.

They didn’t stay up for long. Mikoshiba was tired and sore, and Gou had to get up early the next day too.

_Hana-chan is coming!_ It was her last thought before falling asleep in the all too comfortable bed, surrounded by that familiar smell of sun and wind.

 

-

 

When alarms normally went off at some ungodly early hour in the morning Gou hated them with a burning passion. But today was different. When the alarm went off this morning, instead of slapping it and grumbling, Gou leapt out of the bed. _Hana-chan is here, Hana-chan is here!_

She twitched, her excitement too great to contain to just herself. She ran into the living room. “Hana-chan is here! Hana-chan is here!” She shook Seijuro vigorously. If there had been room she would have been jumping on the couch. “She’s finally here!”

Seijuro groaned at the shaking. “It’s too early for this.”

Gou was much too jubilant to pay much mind to his bemoaning. “Hana-chan’s arriving today!” Then a thought suddenly struck her like a bolt of lightning. “What should I wear?!” She raced back to the bedroom.

“Clothes,” came Seijuro’s sluggish response from the couch.

Gou paused in the midst of digging furiously through her drawer. Clothes? Is that what he had said? Did that mean his other option would have been to go naked? _Pervert!_

She spent the next fifteen minutes trying on various outfits, however nothing seemed to look good and to her everything looked old and worn. By the time she found something that looked somewhat okay the bedroom was covered in clothing that had been thrown haphazardly aside during her frenzy.

“How do I look?” She stood at the foot of Seijuro’s couch, waiting for his appraisal. She would have preferred asking someone like Amakata but Seijuro was the one available she could ask for an opinion.

He slit open one sleepy eye. “That looks good.”

“A-are you sure?” She tugged on the shirt hem. “It’s so old.”

“It looks fine.”

Gou scowled. Fine was just a nice way of saying you look bad. She turned back towards the bedroom.

“Wa-wait! I said it looks fine!”

“No, it doesn’t! I need to find something better to wear.”

He sighed. “Aren’t you just going to see your friend anyway? What does it matter how you look?”

“Because it does! No guy could understand!”

“Apparently not,” she heard him mutter. “You’re going to be late, you know.”

“No, I’m not. I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

There was a snort from the other room. Gou narrowed her eyes. He didn’t believe her. _I’ll show him_. She picked up a shirt. Time to settle on an outfit.

 

-

 

Despite her vow she was twenty minutes late. Thankfully she was meeting Hana at the lodging the debate team had been given rather than the airport so it wasn’t a big deal that she was late. Hana would understand, being another girl and all, and besides it would give hera more time to unpack. She might actually _like_ the fact that Gou was late.

Gou was still twitching with excitement as she knocked on the door and when it opened, she burst out, “Hana-chan!” She wrapped her arms around the other girl. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“Gou!” Hana returned the hug. “You look so cute!”

_Mission accomplished!_

“How have things been with you?” Gou asked once they separated. “Did you have fun the last few weeks?”

“Oh, we didn’t do much at all,” said Hana. “Most of the last few weeks we spent getting ready to come here. What about you?” Hana looked at her expectantly.

“Uhh,” said Gou.

“Being in a foreign country, I bet it was much more exciting for you,” Hana continued. “Even if you were stuck hanging around all boys.”

Gou rubbed her lips together.

“So what have you been up to since you got here? Anything exciting?”

“O-oh well, you know.” Gou’s smile was more like a grimace. She rubbed the back of her neck. “M-maybe a little.”

Hana gave her questioning look.

Gou worried her hands. “I ummm…” She swallowed. “Let’s go talk somewhere.”

 

-

 

“You got married?!”

“Shhh!” Gou’s eyes were wide as dinner plates as she looked quickly around the small café. Hana’s outburst had certainly drawn the attention of other nearby customers but luckily none of them looked familiar. She couldn’t recall what most of the Samezuka swim members looked like but if luck was on her side – _yeah, right –_ they wouldn’t know what they were talking about or remember who she was.  “Keep your voice down.”

Hana was moving about in her chair like her pants had suddenly caught flame. “What do you mean you got married?” Her voice was shrill and Gou flinched with a grimace. “How could you be married?!”

“Shhh! I said keep your voice down!” She let out a breath. “It happened the first night I got here. All of us, we decided to go out drinking and I…I got really drunk…Like really, _really_ drunk, okay? Like I literally don’t remember anything. Anyway during that time, I…sort of married my brother’s swim team captain.”

“ _Your brother’s swim team captain?!”_

“Shhhh!” Gou nearly launched herself across the table and pressed her hands to the other girl’s mouth. They were drawing quite a bit of attention with Hana’s exclamations. Gou hoped the other people staring at them wouldn’t mistake her blush as meaning something else when she currently had her hand over another’s girl mouth. “J-just let me explain, okay?”

She waited for Hana’s nod before taking her hand away and Hana managed to contain herself and stay quiet so Gou could finish. By the time Gou was done telling her everything, Hana had calmed down significantly and spoke at a normal volume.

“I can’t believe you got married.” She was looking at Gou like she wasn’t sure what to think about her. “Married at such a young age _and_ you’re living with him.” She raised her hands to cover her mouth. “So scandalous.”

Gou rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I moved in with him by choice. The stupid laws here forced me to do it.”

“And he’s your own brother’s swimsuit captain and your brother _doesn’t_ even know about it! So scandalous!”

“Yes, yes, I know it’s bad.” Gou sighed. Her life had turned into an utter soap opera or a really bad comedy.  “Anyway, you cannot _,_ and I mean _cannot,_ tell my brother about this.” She fixed Hana with her most meaningfully stare. “I mean it, Hana-chan. He _cannot_ know. If he does he’d kill Mikoshiba and maybe even me. Or he’d lock me away somewhere and not let me out until I’m fifty. I’m serious, he’d do something like that if he found out.”

“Mikoshiba? Is that his name?” asked Hana and Gou fisted her hand. _Don’t focus on that of all things!_ “What’s his first name?”

“His first name?” Gou's face reddened. Never once had she spoken his first name. She had read it – on their marriage certificate no less - and heard others use it but never, ever had she said it. It had always felt too personal to do such a thing, to have his first name on her tongue and lips. “Seijuro,” she forced out after a moment.

“Seijuro,” whispered Hana.

Gou tilted her head to the side. The way Hana said his first name so easily bugged her for some strange reason. Shouldn’t Hana feel awkward saying it when she didn’t even know him? _I’m getting off topic here._ “Anyway, like I was saying! You cannot tell my brother. I’m serious, Hana-chan. Promise me you won’t say anything to him.”

“Oh, I promise, I promise. I swear I won’t say anything.”

Gou sagged in her chair with a sigh. _Good._ Hana may tease her quite a bit but she trusted her fully. If she said she wasn’t going to say anything then she wouldn’t.

“What are the other girls at school going to think when they find out about this?” mused Hana.

Gou scowled. “They aren’t going to say _anything_ because they _aren’t_ going to know about it. Like I said before, when we get back to Japan we’ll get a divorce and that will be the end of it. No one will know anything and we’ll pretend like it didn’t happen and go on with our lives.”

“How could you act like it never happened?” Hana gasped. “That’s just…So _weird._ I mean right now in this very moment you’re someone’s _wife_! You can’t act like that never happened.”

“Of course I can,” Gou snorted. “I don’t even remember getting married.”

“But you still are-”

“It was a _mistake_. Nothing more. A really dumb, stupid drunken mistake. When we get a divorce that will be the end of it.”

Hana sighed as if in disappointed. “Okay, okay, I get it. But I mean…if you didn’t like him then why did you marry him?”

Gou clasped the top of her head with her hands. _Always_ it was this question. _Always._ She was never going to be able to escape it. “I don’t know why I got married! I was drunk. I literally don’t remember anything! I don’t know why I did it.”

“You don’t remember _anything_? _Anything_ at all?”

The way Hana said that made Gou look up. Hana’s eyes swished side to side as if checking to make sure no one was listening. She leaned in closer to whisper. “You don’t even remember if you kissed or not?”

Gou flushed. This again too. She looked away. “I…I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember?!” Hana was aghast. “How could you not remember something like _that_! That was…That was your first kiss, wasn’t it?!”

“No. I mean, yes it was. I mean I-I don’t know!” She covered her face with her hands. “I don’t remember! My first kiss and I don’t even remember it.”

“That is pretty bad.”

She shot a glare at Hana through her fingers.

“I mean if I couldn’t remember my first kiss I would just want to die,” Hana continued.

“Thanks,” growled Gou. Hana was doing a terrible job of cheering her up.

“But if you don’t remember something like that, then do you think maybe you guys did…y’know.” She made a very inappropriate and crude gesture with her hands involving a circle formed out of her thumb and index finger.

Gou’s face reddened more. “We-we didn’t do that!”

“But how do you know?”

“I just know, okay! Don’t make me explain it!” Her face was so hot she considered grabbing an ice cube out of her tea and using it to cool down. She really didn’t want to be discussing _this_ of all things.

Hana sank into her seat, as if disappointed by that too. “Well, that’s good, I suppose. It would have been terrible if you couldn’t remember your first one of those either!”

Gou closed her eyes and slowly counted backwards from ten in her head.

“So when do I get to meet him?” Hana asked brightly and Gou’s mouth dropped.

_That’s what your concerned about?!_ She ground her teeth. “I don’t know. Sometime soon.” There was no doubt the two would meet at some point or other. Gou didn’t plan on sneaking Hana around Mikoshiba or vice versa. That would just be too difficult on top of already sneaking around Rin.

“You should bring me over and introduce me!”

“Absolutely not! That would be way too weird.”

“Why?”

_Because he’d know why I was bringing you over there for._ He would know Hana was there to just meet him. She wasn’t sure how Mikoshiba would react to that and didn’t really want to find out. No, if they were going to meet it would have to be somewhere would they had something else going on. That way it wouldn’t just be ‘hey, this is my friend Hana, and this is the guy I’m currently married to by accident!’.

“Because,” said Gou evasively. She didn’t want to explain that to Hana. Hana would just laugh about it and insist she meet him.

“Oh well.” Hana poked at her milkshake. “I guess that means you won’t want to come out with us tonight, then.”

“Huh?” Gou blinked.

“Yuko and Yuka and I were planning on going out tonight. Since the legal drinking age here is sixteen we figured we’d take advantage of it.” Yuko and Yuka were the other two girls that made up the debate team. They were both dark haired girls that Gou often had a hard time remembering which was which.

Gou made a bit of a face. “I’ve had all I can take of alcohol honestly.”

“But you have to come!” Hana protested. “It’s our first night here and you’re the only one who knows the area! You have to come with us!”

Gou scowled. Now she felt bad. She hadn’t seen Hana in a while and not spending time with her the first night she was here would make her a pretty poor friend. “Okay. But I am not drinking!” If she got married the first time she got drunk what would she do the second time? _Probably wake up on some uninhabited island somewhere ruling over a small colony of gophers with a crown made out of a coconut shell._

“Oh you can drink a little.” Hana waved a hand. “Just don’t get super drunk like last time. One or two drinks isn’t going to do any harm.”

“Maybe,” said Gou. “But only one or two!”

“Of course, of course.” Hana swirled her milkshake with her straw, giving Gou a sly look over it. “Unless of course you’d rather stay home. I know how hard it is for newlyweds to be separated from each other.”

Gou’s scowl deepened. She threw her wadded up napkin at Hana but she only laughed at her.

 

-

 

It was dark out and she was in the bathroom finishing up getting ready when Mikoshiba finally arrived home. He had been gone the entire day with his swim team. What exactly they had been doing Gou didn’t know; she hadn’t heard from him all day. _Likely shopping._ It wouldn’t have surprised her if they had spent all day there. There were so many of them they were probably fighting over changing rooms.

“Gou? Are you in the bathroom?” His voice drifted down from the living room to her.

“I’m here,” she called back and faintly she heard the sound of him sitting on the couch.

_Almost done._ Gou kept her eyes glued on the mirror as she applied the mascara. She didn’t normally wear make-up but tonight was a special occasion. Because it was girls night out! Going out with the boys had been one thing but this was different. Going out with the boys she didn’t feel the need to get dolled up but with the girls she felt it required the extra effort.

She would be meeting up shortly with Hana and the two other girls at the downtown area. Presently they were at the debate team’s housing getting ready themselves. Gou felt sort of bad for them. The debate team was small so their housing was not very big. They had only had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The three members had one bedroom and their advisor the other. Three girls sharing one bathroom...

Like the Samezuka boys fighting over changing rooms the girls would likely be fighting over mirror space. Gou was lucky. She had the entire bathroom to herself to get ready.

The perks of being the Captain of such a swimming powerhouse as Samezuka, having an entire place to yourself. And she got to share in them. _Because we’re married._

She shook her head to dislodge that thought and had to spend several minutes cleaning the line of mascara off her cheek.

“Did you meet up with your friend today?” Mikoshiba’s voice came from the living room again. He must have gotten tired of the silence.

“Uh huh.” She took a step back to look herself over, turning several times in front of the mirror. She didn’t look too bad, if she did say so herself. “I’m about to go meet up with her now actually.”

“Now?” There was a hint of surprise in his tone. “This late?”

“Yeah. We’re going out.” Gou pushed open the bathroom door the rest of the way and walked into the living room.

“Out?” asked Mikoshiba, then he looked up at her entrance and Gou found this time she didn’t have to ask him if she looked good or not. The way his eyes widened and his mouth slightly parted was all the answer she needed. ‘You look good’ was written all over his face.

She was glad the make-up would help conceal her blush. She couldn’t help smiling either.

“Umm.” He sounded like his throat was suddenly dry. He coughed to clear it. “Where are you going,” he asked, voice a little strained, “dressed like that?”

She smiled wider and shouldered her bag. “Out.”

“Out?”

“To the downtown area.”

“To the downtown area?”

She frowned. Was there an echo in here?

He grasped what she meant a second later and his sharp eyebrows lowered. “You’re going out drinking?”

“Well, _I’m_ not going out drinking.” She had learned her lesson already that was for sure. “Hana-chan and the others want to though. I’m just tagging along.”

The look he was giving her was a strange one. For someone who was normally pretty expressive and easy to read, this expression she was having a hard time figuring out.

“You’re not going to be drinking at all?” he asked slowly.

“Maybe one or two.” She shrugged. “Nothing crazy.”

He was still giving her that look. Was it doubt? No, there was more to it than that but what she didn’t know.

Was he thinking about what had happened the last time she had gotten drunk and wondering what she crazy thing she would do this time? But…why would he care about that?

“Are you sure that’s,” he began but Gou’s phone went off, interrupting him and she was distracted pulling it out from her bag.

“Hana-chan and the others are ready.” She snapped the phone closed. “I’ll be home late but hopefully not _too_ late. I’ll try not to wake you up when I come in.”

He was frowning a bit, but Gou had a feeling it was about something else than her waking him up when she came in. She couldn’t help noticing either that when Mikoshiba smiled his whole face lit up, but when he was unhappy about something his whole face darkened too.

“Umm,” she began but her phone went obnoxiously off in her hand again. “Jeez, Hana-chan, I’m coming.” She punched at the phone so it would shut up and started towards the door. “I’ll see you later.”

His frowned had not abated. “Alright.” The word was oddly measured, very close to his captain’s tone. “Be careful.”

Was he really trying to say don’t do anything stupid? Whatever, he was the one who kept buying her drinks last time and his signature was on that marriage certificate too. He was partly to blame for everything.

_“When you’re married you do everything by halves.”_

_Everything by halves. Half of the blame for both of us._

She shook her head _._ Tonight was not the night to be thinking about that. Because tonight was all about having fun!

_Well, not too much fun._ Last time she had had too much fun she had gotten married. _Just a medium amount of fun, then._

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she started off down the street towards her friends and the bars.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa's 'swimsuit' is seriously a real thing and canon. I saw the pictures floating around tumblr although I can't find a link for them now. I think it's in the special episodes included with the DVD. So yes, Nagisa owns a bikini (I bet he looks fabulous in it too)


	11. Illusions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been a bit under the weather and work has been absolutely nuts due to the holidays so I've been coming home and pretty much doing the best impression of The Blob I can muster and not doing anything productive (like this is productive, ha). I was also really torn about where to end this so it turned out being the longest chapter yet.

Seijuro stared at the clock like it was a crystal ball about to tell his fortune. It was getting late. Growing late. Too late. Gou wasn’t back yet. Too late for her to not be back. She had said she would be out late but not _that_ late, and it was becoming _that_ late.

 With a forceful amount of effort he tore his gaze away from the tick of the two hands on the clock face. He moved his leg vigorously. He tapped his fingers on his knee. He leaned to the side with his chin in his palm then moved it against a second later. He shifted his position. He stretched his arms out along the back of the couch. He glanced at the clock again.

One minute had passed.

Damnit.He rubbed his face. _This is getting ridiculous. I should go to bed._ But he _couldn’t_ go to bed. He couldn’t get settled. He was much too restless.

What if Gou had gotten drunk and done something stupid? She had said she wasn’t going to drink but she might have changed her mind once she had reached the bars. He couldn’t imagine that it was easy being the only sober one in a group of drunk teenagers. It was entirely plausible that she would change her mind and join in the festivities so to speak. Who knew what kind of shenanigans she could get herself into if she got drunk again. She couldn’t get married, at least not again, that was for sure. But there were other stupid mistakes one could do whilst drunk.

Seijuro grit his teeth. His imagination was running away from him. He should text her. That would be the smart thing to do. But at the same time he was hesitant to do so. Texting her out of nowhere just to check up on her might come across as paranoid and overbearing, not to mention intrusive. She would have an idea of what he was trying to do and she may not like it.

Despite their accidental marriage Seijuro didn’t have any right to tell her what to do. Or not to do as the case might be. What she did and with who, was, technically, none of his business. But for some reason thinking like that only left Seijuro feeling even less satisfied and more frustrated with the current situation.

He fisted his hands. He couldn’t let it lie without doing anything about it. The thoughts in his head would only drive him crazy. He had to do something, otherwise he would spend all night suffering from restless leg syndrome and fretting. He had to know what was going on. Even if it wasn’t any of his business, even if their marriage was a sham and an accident, he had to know.

He rose, all determination, then paused. He had to go. Most definitely. But there was one big flaw in his plan. How could he show up at the bar without giving himself away and making him look like a creep?

He grimaced. If he showed up to the bars by himself there was a high chance she would know exactly what he was doing or she would think he was there to try and pick up girls. Neither scenario was particularly pleasing. She would either consider him a stalker or a tramp.

In the case, he needed someone to go with him, someone he could blame for dragging him out and act like it wasn’t his idea at all. But who? Who could he go with that wouldn’t cause suspicion?

He thought for a moment, running names and faces through his head. Makoto? No that wouldn’t work. Gou would instantly become suspicious that they were spying on her – which they would be – and Makoto didn’t drink in the first place. Besides, Haru would insist on coming himself or he’d make that pouty jealous face again. No, Makoto and Haru were a bad idea. Rei? No, no, Nagisa would want to come and then _they’d_ be the ones becoming drunken hot messes. Nagisa had this strange way about him that enabled him to convince you to do something you would normally never, ever do. Rei and Nagisa wouldn’t work. Goro?  The older guy did seem to enjoy his beer. That didn’t mean he would enjoy being inside a bar full of drunken teenagers though. Actually scratch that, Goro was a terrible idea. He would only look like a creep in that sea of adolescent drunkenness.

Well, that was all of Iwatobi so he moved onto his swim team next. Nitori? No, that was a terrible idea. The boy would either get so nervous at all the people bustling about he’d go cry in a corner or he’d get drunk and then cry. Besides, as far as Mikoshiba knew the boy had not indulged in any drinking whatsoever and did not seem interested in doing so. Dragging someone like Nitori to the bar would only be one big red flag. Who else then? Seijuro thought and then his eyes widened. Noro! Of course. Out of anyone in Samezuka he frequented the bars the most. It wouldn’t be unusual for him to be there and he’d be a familiar face that people would recognize. It would be completely believable that Noro had decided to drag him out.

Seijuro looked hastily about, catching sight of his red phone gleaming on the table. He snatched it up. He scrolled down to the N’s and was about to hit the call button on Noro’s name when the door opened.

“I’m home.” The words were delivered with no exuberance, instead laden with exhaustion.

“O-oh.” Seijuro juggled the phone then quickly tossed it away from himself. If she saw him standing there with it in his hand she would naturally want to know what he was doing. “H-hey. How’d it go?” The expression on her face when she looked up at him matched her tone. Her eyes looked tired, the corners of her mouth slightly downturned, and the excitement she had displayed when first leaving had certainly been leached out of her.

“Everything alright?”

“Ugh.” She tottered sluggishly over to the couch, carelessly dropping her bag along the way and collapsed face first into his pillow. Mikoshiba blinked at her.

“Did it not go well?”

She shifted oddly, her hand moving underneath her and extracting something that she had fallen onto. His phone. _Oops._ With a bit of a frown at it, she placed in on the table. “It was a mess,” she decreed. She buried her face back in the pillow and clutched it. “Everyone drank way too much. Yuka got sick and started puking. Hana-chan kept wandering off to random places and Yuko, she passed out on the curb while I was trying to get Yuka and Hana-chan together outside so we could leave before things got any worse.” She flipped over and raised her hands in the air. “It was a big mess.”

“Sounds like it.” Taking care of one drunk person could be difficult in itself but taking care of three sounded next to impossible. Seijuro had been lucky in that he had yet to experience such a situation. The time he had gotten drunk he had been no shape to take care of _anyone_ , and since then his teammates had been keeping their drink responsible enough that he didn’t have to intervene. “How’d you manage to get back here?”

“I called Makoto.”

“You called Makoto?”

“Yeah. I had to. I didn’t know what else to do.” She pressed her hands into her eyes. “I couldn’t get Yuko up and there was no way I could carry her all that way. Plus Yuka was still so sick and Hana-chan was no help at all. I didn’t know what else to do so I called him.”

“Oh.” Seijuro tried to not the let disappoint show in his tone. It was stupid, of course she would call Makoto over him. She had known the other boy longer and the two appeared fairly close. Still. He would have come and helped if she had asked him to.

“Makoto and Haru both came to help,” Gou continued. “Thank God. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise. Makoto had to carry Yuka, thank goodness she didn’t puke on him, and Haru had to carry Yuko. I had to drag Hana-chan along like she was a naughty toddler, she kept trying to wander off still. If I let her go for a second she would either collapse into giggles and not get up or teeter off into some rose bushes.” She heaved a great sigh. “Anyway we managed to get the girls back to their lodging and in bed so it ended okay. Poor Makoto and Haru had to get yanked out of bed to deal with that nonsense. I feel terrible about it.” She sighed again then reached down to pull off her pretty but likely not very comfortable shoes.

“Sorry to hear it didn’t work out so well for you.”

“I should have expected it. Their first time drinking, they’re not going to know when to slow down or stop. It was bound to be a disaster.” She tossed her shoes aside. “What’d you do all evening?”

“Oh, I uhhh…” _Stared at the clock all night._ “I-I read.”

“Oh, did you? Swimming stuff?”

 _Swimming stuff._ “Yes,” he said slowly. “Swimming stuff.”

She fell back onto the couch and closed her eyes, dragging the pillow over her face as if she were about to fall asleep. “Mikoshiba.” She said his name quietly. She was definitely tired.

“Hmmm?”

“I think I’m done with going to the bars around here.”

The words were like music to his ears. He was glad the pillow covered her face so she wouldn’t see the smile that had formed on his. “Yeah,” he said. “Me too.”

 

-

 

If there was one nice thing – _one_  - Gou say about this country, it was that they had fantastic beaches. That thought crossed her mind again as she shielded her eyes against the harshness of the sun glinting off the water. It was certainly a gorgeous sight. The sun and sand and water and wind. The bay water looked calm and clear, and further out stood the three islands. Supposedly they were deserted but whether that was true or not Gou was uncertain. The beach stretched out on either side of her and she turned to peer down the length of it. For the most part they had it to themselves. There were a few people walking along the boardwalk and one or two joggers but outside of that the beach was empty. It wasn’t a bad spot for them. A pleasant enough beach to camp on, but not one of the more popular ones that would be overloaded with locals.

Speaking of camping…

To the side Rei and Nagisa were busy quibbling about how best to set up their tent. Their first attempt had turned out poorly, and the poor plastic thing lay tilted at some weird angle with its plastic poles sticking up into the air, looking like a broken flattened insect with its legs all askew. Neither boy had any idea what they were doing and it was painfully obvious. With a sigh Makoto left the rest of his own tent for Haru to finish in order to go help them.

“Oh, Mako-chan! Thanks! I told you he knows what he’s doing, Rei-chan.” Nagisa paused and looked over at Haru straightening out the other erect tent. “Haru-chan knows how to set up a tent?”

“He’s been camping with my family a few times,” Makoto said as way of explanation and Gou raised her hand to cover her smile. Imagining Haru camping with Makoto’s exuberant family, especially Makoto’s younger siblings, was more than a little endearing.

Makoto had been the one to discover the camping equipment in the storage area of their lodge, something the host’s had left in case they had wanted to go camping, although the hosts had likely not intended for it to be used in the way Iwatobi was currently. And Mikoshiba. He had loaned them some equipment too.

 

_“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Mikoshiba had asked while pulling out the tent from his own storage area. “Camping for an entire week.”_

_“It’ll be fine.” Makoto accepted the tent from him. “The weather is supposed to be nice this time of year. Camping won’t be bad. Besides, we don’t have the money to afford a pool or lodging for all of us.”_

_“So I heard.” Mikoshiba frowned and rubbed the side of his neck. “Swimming in the ocean though. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of that. Doesn’t really sound all that safe.”_

_Makoto hummed in his throat. The  look on his face had been one Gou had never seen the likes of before, at least not on him. “We’ll be fine,” was all he said and for some reason Gou got the impression he was talking to himself rather than anyone else._

Gou shook her head. It had been Makoto’s idea to swim in the ocean and also to camp on the beach for their week long break due to the holiday. Well, the boys were going to camp on the beach anyway. Gou and Amakata had gotten a hotel room to share. As Amakata had said with conviction, “You can’t expect girls to sleep outside!” Goro too had gotten himself a hotel room. He flat out refused to camp outside.

She turned to look further inland where the hotel buildings dotted the landscape. Inside one of them was the Samezuka swim team. It was the main reason Iwatobi had chosen the spot they had. They weren’t sure how the laws worked when a married couple was out of town from each other but just in case Iwatobi had decided to stay close to Samezuka. It wouldn’t do for Gou and Mikoshiba to get arrested over something as stupid as that.

Regardless, it had worked out nicely. The three uninhabited islands presented a good course for Iwatobi to use to do some long distance swimming and work on their stamina. Over the last few days Gou and Rei had been pouring over maps to get the general distances down, and Makoto and Goro had written up a routine for them to use based off the distances. And Mikoshiba. He had helped finalize everything too.

Somewhere in one of those hotels was Gou’s brother too, although she wasn’t too worried about that. Iwatobi had a good excuse for being where they were and she likely wouldn’t run into him anyway. He was busy with his own swim team and had no reason to come down to the beach when Samezuka had their own pool and nice hotel rooms to sleep in. Yes, she doubted she would see him during their time here.

Thinking of that, Gou pulled out her phone. She sent a text to Mikoshiba letting him know they had arrived and one to Hana as well. Like the swim teams the debate team had the week off too and Hana would be coming to join them tomorrow. Gou was excited for that. For the last two days she had not seen Hana and had barely had any contact with her. Hana had been busy with the debate team, and nursing a wicked hang over on top of which, and Gou had been busy getting everything ready for their camping trip as well. It would be nice to spend some time with her without having alcohol involved alcohol. Gou had a strong impression that, like her, Hana was done for the stuff after the escapade from the other night. The poor girl had only started to feel better. _At least she didn’t get married when she was drunk._

Her phone buzzed. A text from Mikoshiba and, as she had expected, it was short and to the point. ‘K’ was all he sent. She rolled her eyes. Would it kill him to send something that didn’t seem so brusque? At least Hana’s was a little longer and happier, the girl expressing excitement at coming out and wanting to go fishing. _Why_ she wanted to go fishing was a mystery to Gou but Hana sometimes got these urges to do stuff she would normally never do. This must be one of them.

Her phone buzzed once more and Gou was surprised to see it was Mikoshiba once again, asking where their camp was. She sent some general directions to him and thought about asking him which hotel he was staying in, but ultimately decided against it. That might come across as too overbearing and intrusive if she already started asking about that.

“The tents are done!” Nagisa displayed them as if they were his doing, even though it had been mostly Makoto.

“Those look great, Nagisa,” Gou said encouragingly regardless. “Good job!”

“Gou-chan,” said Nagisa, “why don’t you and Sei-chan get a tent and camp on the beach with us?” He threw up his hands. “It would be romantico!”

Her eyebrow ticked in a funny manner, though she managed to keep her face from reddening. Maybe she was finally getting used to Nagisa’s teasing.

“I’m sure Captain Mikoshiba is busy with his own team,” said Makoto, rolling up some extra rope they hadn’t needed for the tents. “They’ll be spending as much time as they can swimming after all. I doubt we’ll see much of Mikoshiba while we’re here.”

“Besides, we’re here to train!” Gou added in. “We’ve got a full week without any distractions! We must make the most of it while we can!”

“Hear, hear!” Goro lifted up his beer can as if toasting.

Gou frowned at the thing. How had he managed to get a beer already? Had he brought them on the _bus_ with him? _What a terrible example for a coach to be setting!_

They had gotten to their camp spot late so there wasn’t much daylight left. They took advantage of the last of it to make dinner. Or tried to. In the midst of pawing through their bags of groceries Amakata froze. “Oh, no. I forgot to bring seasoning.”

Nagisa let out a gasp that startled everyone. “No seasoning?!”

“No seasoning?!” Goro echoed. He grasped the pool like it were a buddy of his he hadn’t seen in a while. “We can’t eat without seasoning!”

 _Jeez, it’s like watching a past and future version of Nagisa._ “It’s fine, it’s fine.” She stood and brushed the sand off her pants. “I can go get some from the store. It’s not too far and I know where it is.” She had spotted it on their way to their camp sight and had purposely placed it to memory, knowing full well it was likely the only place to buy groceries in the area. Going there to get spices was the least she could do. She had been standing around sightseeing and texting while the boys had been hard at work setting up the camp.

She went by herself, telling Makoto it was fine when he offered to go with her. She was only getting seasoning after all. She could carry it by herself and it was unlikely she would run into any sort of incident along the way. It was a short run from there and back. What could possibly go wrong?

She nearly ran straight into the person coming out of the store whilst she was trying to get in. “Ah, s-sorry!”

The person said, “Gou?” and she looked up.

 Right into the face of her brother.

“B-brother.” She fought to place a smile on her face. Sweat dripped down her temple. “H-hi.”

_-_

“So.” Rin’s arms were crossed over his chest and if there was a more defensive posture to be in then his posture currently Gou would have liked to see it. “Tell me again what _exactly_ you’re doing here?”

“It isn’t what you think!” She struggled to open the bottle of spices he had bought for her. After purchasing the item Rin had insisted they have a discussion. Gou had expected that. He would want to know why Iwatobi was out here of all places. It was probably grating against him like sandpaper to think he wouldn’t have to see them for a week only to discover they were here. Faintly she was also glad he had been by himself at the store and that Mikoshiba hadn’t been with him for any reason. The two generally didn’t seem to spend time together outside of swimming practice but if by some chance Mikoshiba had been there the situation would have been more than a little awkward.

“It isn’t?” His tone was bordering on a growl. “Cause it sure looks like it. Haru and the others are here, aren’t they?”

Gou was too busy in her warfare with the seasoning bottle to pay much mind to his anger. She had anticipated that anyway. “Of course they are, but I didn’t plan- Oh thanks.” She handed the bottle to him as he held out his hand. “Anyway I didn’t plan this!”

“So you’re trying to say it was pure coincidence that you just happened to be at the same place we are?” He opened the bottle with ease and handed it back to her.

“Um, m-more or less.” He raised an eyebrow and she struggled to think of what else to say that would provide more information but still keep herself among the living. The only reason they were here was because of the stupid law anyway, but she couldn’t tell him that. “We’re here to swim since they closed down the pool for a week.”

“You’re here to swim?” His brows furrowed. “How? We’re the ones using the pool.”

“We aren’t using the pool.” Gou spilled some of the spices into her hand to sniff. She wrinkled her nose. Cheap spices. “We’re swimming in the ocean.”

 “The ocean.” He drew back. There was a moment of silence. “Makoto’s okay with that?”

“Huh?” She looked up at the strange question. It had been Makoto’s idea to swim in the ocean once they had reached a blockade when searching for a place to swim after all. Why would her brother ask  something like that?

But Rin only turned away at her questioning stare. “Never mind. It’s nothing important.” He was silent for another moment. “Are they completing their regimen?”

He was changing the subject. She didn’t understand it at all. Did he know something about Makoto that she didn’t? “Uh well, we just got here today. They won’t be starting until tomorrow. But I’m sure they’ll complete it.”

“I see.”

Despite his brooding expression she couldn’t help but giggle. He glared at her. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing.” _It just seems like…like you’re still worried for them._ But she knew if she said it he would only deny it so she didn’t bother. Sometimes it was better not to draw stuff like that to Rin’s attention. He would try and stomp out those feelings because he didn’t want other people to see them in him.

Rin made that tch sound in his throat. He stood. “Where are you staying, Gou? Don’t tell me on the beach.”

“No, no, not at all.” She wasn’t that crazy. She gestured to one of the nearby hotels. “Over there.”

He glanced over at the building she indicated. “I’ll walk you back then.”

It took her a moment to process that and convince herself she wasn’t hallucinating. A smile bloomed across her face and she giggled again as she got up. It wasn’t where she needed to go at all; the others were waiting for her on the beach but that was alright, they could wait a bit longer. She wasn’t about to pass up the rare offer her brother had just made.

“What’s that smile for?”

She managed to contain her giggle. “Nothing.”

 

-

 

Gou waited several minutes after Rin dropped her off at her hotel room for him to move far enough away he wouldn’t see her before she snuck back down to the beach to rejoin the others. She handed the spices to Amakata once she arrived. “Here. Sorry it took me so long.”

Funnily enough Amakata didn’t question her for the excessive amount of time it had taken just to buy spices. In fact for some odd reason the teacher was smiling. Was she really that happy about having spices?

Then Gou heard a voice, a voice that was all too familiar, and she looked up. “Mikoshiba?”

The tall boy was with the Iwatobi boys and Goro. Standing in front of the tents seemingly looking over the structures. _He showed up already?_ Gou almost couldn’t believe it. They had only been here for two or three hours tops. _Well, that certainly didn’t take long._

“He showed up a few minutes ago,” Amakata said to Gou’s unasked question. “I think he wanted to see how well the tent he loaned us was working out.”

“O-oh.” Of course. Of course that’s what he had come for. What other reason would he have to come here?

The boys seemed to be talking about the tents but once Nagisa caught sight of her, he cried out. “Ah, Gou-chan, did you finally get the spices?”

“Yes, sorry I took so long.”

“Can we eat now? I’m starving!”

Gou sighed.

“You should stay and eat with us, Sei-chan!”

Sei-chan again. Gou couldn’t help but wonder what Mikoshiba thought about Nagisa referring to him like that already. Maybe he just pretended it wasn’t happening, sort of like a bad dream.

“Well, I’ve already eaten,” said Mikoshiba. “But I’ll stay for a bit.”

“Maybe can you can camp with us too!”

“Oh, no.” Mikoshiba’s response was immediate. “That’s alright.”

Gou stifled her laugh into a squeak. There was no way Mikoshiba was going to camp with them. Not if he had some posh hotel room somewhere all to himself with air conditioning and a nice large bed. He’d have to be out of his mind to pass that up to sleep outside in a piece of plastic on the ground.

It was a good thing he had already eaten too. Gou had forgotten to check what food items they were bringing with them and lo and behold, their entire menu now consisted of nothing but pizza and mackerel. And cheap seasoning.

“I can’t believe this,” she muttered darkly. “Not only is pizza bad but you expect us to eat it for a whole week?!”

“There’s nothing wrong with pizza!” Goro leaned around the pole he was leaning against to snag a piece. “And don’t worry, I brought all different kinds so we won’t get tired of them! There’s hokke, and lots of mackerel, and pineapple-”

“Pineapple is the one thing I won’t put on pizza,” Amakata voiced her opinion. Goro’s face fell like she had just betrayed him or something.

“Pineapple on pizza is delicious, how could you say such a thing? It’s so popular they named it! It’s called the Hawaiian!”

“They can keep it over there then.”

“And you’re way too obsessed with mackerel, Haru!” Gou continued her tirade.

“It’s a lean meat,” was the boy’s response. Using her words against her again. “It’s a lean meat so it’s okay for us to have.”

“But not for a whole week!” She gave up and plopped onto the bench with a heavy sigh. She should have been more diligent about their food but she had forgotten. _I have not only failed my team as a manager but myself as well._

“I’m glad I already ate,” Mikoshiba muttered out of the corner of his mouth. He was seating next to Gou again, although this time Gou couldn’t remember who it was who had sat down first. “Is pizza and mackerel really the only things you have to eat?”

“Yes, and mostly pineapple pizza by the sounds of it.” Gou poked at her slice Amakata had set before her like it was a dead rat. Ugh. She didn’t even think a starving dog would eat this. “Never let Goro and Haru decide the food menu for a trip.”

With all eight of them there the dinner was loud and a little chaotic. Conversations whizzed on between different people and there was a fair amount of laughing and scolding from various parties. The atmosphere was pleasant, like it had been the last time they had eaten together when they had made the conch. Gou couldn’t help but find it a little amusing watching Mikoshiba interact with everyone. He had crashed into their company like a meteor, scattering bits everywhere and creating a mess – in his defense Gou had helped create that mess -  but somehow he had easily integrated himself into their folds in such a short amount of time. It had helped that they had known him beforehand, especially from the joint practice, but they hadn’t really known him very well as a person. Funny how fast things could change.

The only one missing was, yet again, Rin. He was the missing piece to their nearly complete puzzle. He was still keeping his distance, even though if was evident he cared. Gou had seen that for herself earlier today when he had been asking about the Iwatobi boys. Why he was hiding and denying that, even to himself it seemed, she had no idea.

The sun had sunk nearly completely below the horizon by the time they finished eating. After a shortc clean up, the Iwatobi boys moved off towards the tents and Amakata and Goro prepared to depart for the hotel. Gou yawned into her hand. If the two adults were heading to the hotel she should too so she wouldn’t have to walk alone. It wasn’t that late but the bus ride had been draining and they had a full day tomorrow so relaxing in the hotel room sounded like a great idea.

She rose from the table and Mikoshiba rose with her, although he was still chatting with Goro. She moved away and he moved with her. He didn’t even stop his conversation to do so, like it were the most natural thing in the world for him to go with her. She looked at him questioningly but he was too busy talking to Goro to notice.

“Ah, are you guys leaving?” Nagisa called out to them. “So soon?”

Mikoshiba turned back to wave and Gou actually found herself pausing, like she were waiting for him. _What the heck?_ She shook her head as if trying to dispel a daydream.

“We’re heading back to the hotel,” he said to the boys. “You guys should get some rest too.” His wave turned into a raised fist. “Practice hard tomorrow!”

An enthusiastic yes was the reply he received and Gou raised her eyebrows. _Now they’re starting to sound like a military unit too._ Maybe Mikoshiba just had that effect on people, especially swimmers. His enthusiasm carried over to others it seemed.

Before departing, Gou turned to Amakata and Goro. “Are you two coming?” The two had been preparing to leave before Gou had even gotten up.

“Oh, no, no, that’s alright.” Amakata waved her hand.  That mischievous glint was back in her eye again. Next to her Goro was fighting to keep a straight face as well for some insane reason. “You two go on ahead. Sasabe and myself will stay for a bit and clean up.”

 _Clean up?_ Gou looked at the picnic table. Clean up what? The picnic table was spotless and the food, and by food Gou meant the pizza and mackerel, had been put away. There was nothing left to clean up. “Umm.”

“Gou,” Mikoshiba called. He stood at the entryway to the path leading to the hotels. “This way.”

“A-ah, be right there.” With one more backwards glance at the two adults, who almost looked like they were giggling now, she hurried after him. _What was all that about?_ The two adults were acting a bit strangely. Well, stranger than usual anyway. _Or were they just doing that on purpose so Mikoshiba and I would walk back alone together?_ Her eyebrows lowered. They were supposed to be the adults here and keep Mikoshiba and her separate, not throw them together! _Those…_

“Which hotel is yours?” asked Mikoshiba, startling her out of her thoughts.

“Um, that one over there.” She pointed. “Yours?”

He indicated a much bigger hotel off to the side. Even from this distance it looked expensive and ritzy. Gou couldn’t help but feel a little envious. Their hotel rooms were accommodating but modest.

“I don’t think we’ll have any trouble from the authorities if we don’t share a hotel room,” he went on, “although I’m not entirely sure how the laws work either. I’m sure if we keep quiet it won’t be a problem though.”

Was he trying to say they might have to share a hotel room? Gou’s face heated. Absolutely not. Living with each other was one thing but sharing a hotel room? _Absolutely not!_ “I’m sure you’re right,” she said quickly. “It’s only for a week anyway. I mean…what else are married couples supposed to do when they take vacations anyway?”

It wasn’t until after she said it that she realized the words she had used. Married couples. _Why_ had she used that exact phrase? Married was one thing cause, well, they were, even though it was a mistake, but couple was something else entirely. They weren’t a married couple at all! They were just two people…who happened to be married to each other, but not a couple!

Gou resisted the urge to smack her head into a palm tree. _My life is a mess._

“That’s a good point,” said Mikoshiba, seemingly completely unaware of Gou’s internal conflict. Maybe he hadn’t even noticed the wording she had used? “What other option would married couples have?”

Now he was using the exact same wording too. Maybe he had noticed what she had said but hadn’t thought anything of it?

“Will you guys being starting your training tomorrow?”

Oh good, he was changing the subject. That was a relief. She grasped onto that new subject presented like a lifeline. “The boys will be, they’ll be swimming between those three islands out in the bay. Hana-chan and I are going to go fishing though.”

“Fishing?” The word was slathered in surprise.

“It was Hana-chan’s idea.” It was almost a complete certainty they would mostly be doing other things rather than fishing. Sunbathing, sightseeing. Hana might cast one or two lines then that would be the end of it. Hana was like that.

“She’s coming here?”

Gou nodded. “The debate team has the week off so she’s coming to join us out here for the next day or two.”

“I see.” Mikoshiba moved his shoulders. “What time will you be going out tomorrow?”

“Late morning most likely. Hana-chan should be here early and we’ll go out after that.”

“Text me when you’re about to leave then. I’ll see you off.”

See you off? That was a bit strange. Did he really mean he wanted to see her before she left or be there to say good bye or something? “O-okay.”

“Besides, I haven’t met your friend yet either.”

Gou blinked. Did that mean he wanted to meet her?He hadn’t made any mention of meeting Hana before, unlike Hana who for the past two days had texted Gou inquiring when she was going to meet the mysterious boy Gou had married. Gou had been glad Hana hadn’t known where Mikoshiba’s house was. Otherwise she would have likely shown up there unannounced just to meet Mikoshiba. Maybe Mikoshiba had been quiet about it because he had been waiting for Gou to introduce them. Maybe since Hana was coming here anyway he felt it was convenient for them to meet.

“Okay,” said Gou again. “I’ll let you know before we leave.”

Mikoshiba saw her to her hotel room before departing for his own and Gou stood in the hall for a moment, watching him walk away almost mesmerized. Even with his shirt covering his back she swore she could see the muscles rippling. _Stop it._

She entered the hotel room and didn’t waste much time in getting ready for bed. The hotel bed was comfortable but it smelled clean. Too clean. Gou found she didn’t like it, much preferring the scent that lingered on the bed back at Mikoshiba’s place. It was a while before she managed to fall into sleep.

 

-

 

The next morning found them on the beach. Gou and Hana. And Mikoshiba.

“Are you sure this is safe?” He raised a foot and poked at the craft lying in the surf. “It looks a little precarious.”

 _Precarious?_ That sounded like a Rei word. Mikoshiba must have picked it up from him.

“Hana-chan’s the one who got it.” Gou frowned at the boat. Actually calling it a boat was too generous. A raft might be more accurate. It was small and shabby looking, barely the size of a bath tub, and it bobbed in the surf like a cork. Yet despite its flaws it had a motor on it and it was managing to stay afloat. It would suffice for what they needed it for. They couldn’t afford anything besides. “It’ll be fine.”

“Do you even know how to work the motor?” asked Mikoshiba. He was eyeing the boat like it was a stray torn up animal that might be dangerous.

“Hana-chan does. She’s been in boats before.” She turned to the other girl. “Your grandfather owns a boat, doesn’t he, Hana-chan?”

No immediate response was forthcoming from Hana. “Hana-chan?”Gou pressed and Hana started.

“Ah, y-yes. My grandfather. He does.” Her hands reached up and clenched at her hair, which she had worn down today. Her hands twisted the strands.

She had been strangely quiet since meeting Mikoshiba. After their initial introduction she hadn’t said a peep, and she had more of squeaked than said her name to him. Maybe she didn’t know how to act around him because of his and Gou’s current…circumstances. If Gou had been in Hana’s place she might have acted the same way. Or maybe Mikoshiba was not who Hana had been expecting. Gou wasn’t sure. Regardless, Gou was finding she really didn’t like the way Hana couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him.

And no surprise Mikoshiba wasn’t helping the situation. He had been supposedly in the midst of a morning jog when he had received Gou’s text she had sent him before departing her hotel room. As such he was conveniently in workout clothes, so of course his shirt was lacking sleeves again naturally. Honestly it was miracle he was even _wearing_ a shirt. Regardless his clothing gave a rather…ample and nice view. Glorious, glorious muscles that flexed and rippled when he leaned over to peer at the motor or the way his back muscles were so pronounced underneath the somewhat tight material of his shirt as he straightened. Muscles were best seen in the flesh.

_Focus!_

“Ummm, w-we better get going.” God now she was squeaking. She coughed to loosen her throat. “We don’t want to be out too late.”

“What time will you be back?” asked Mikoshiba.

Gou moved towards the small craft, tossing the rest of her items into it. “Late afternoon most likely. It depends if we get bored or tired of the sun. We’ll definitely be back before sunset though.” She looked over at Hana. The girl had still failed to remove her gaze from Mikoshiba. Gou’s eyebrows lowered. “Are you ready to go, _Ha-na_ -chan?” The emphasis on the girl’s name managed to snap her out of her trance.

“O-oh, yes. I am ready. We should go.” She bowed to Mikoshiba. “It was very nice meeting you.”

He bowed slightly back. “Be careful out there.”

“Oh we will.” She grinned like a fat cat that had caught a mouse, and when she clambered into the boat she flashed Gou the same toothy grin. Gou narrowed her eyes further. _What is she up to?_ Hana was always the type to start mischief and give Gou a hard time. She wondered what teasing scheme was brewing in her brain now.  

A quick tug on the motor started it up. The boat wirred and Hana turned it towards the open water.

From the shore Mikoshiba lingered until they got further out, then he waved and resumed his jog down the beach. Gou watched his dwindling figure then turned gaze to Hana. The girl was facing straight ahead, focusing on guiding the boat along. _Good_. Gou had sort of been expecting her to still be staring at Mikoshiba running down the beach and that thought annoyed Gou for some reason.

They didn’t travel for long. Out past the islands and into the open season. Boats weren’t allowed in the bay area so they were careful to avoid it. A half hour later they were sitting merrily at sea, with Gou lounging in the seat and Hana standing with a fishing line in the water.

As Hana moved her line, she stated casually as if she were simply commenting on the weather, “He’s cute.”

Gou moved her head from under the shirt she was using to shield her eyes. She made a face against the material. “What?”

“Mikoshiba-san,” said Hana and Gou did not miss the honorific she had attached to his name. “He’s cute.”

She tore the shirt off her face. “Oh?” Only one word but even that sounded strained.

“I was a little worried at first when you told me that you married some guy your first night here,” Hana continued. “I mean what kind of person does that?” She laughed. Gou didn’t laugh with her, glaring at the other girl from under her bangs. “But he isn’t bad looking. He seems…really nice too.”

“Of course he does,” Gou grumbled.

“I mean he came down to see you off. How sweet is that?! And he’s the Captain of your brother’s swim team isn’t here?” Hana carried on obliviously. “So he’s responsible too!” She grinned at Gou. “I think you really lucked out.”

Gou scowled. Was this Hana’s teasing plot or was she being serious? “How so?”

“I’m saying that you could have done a lot worse!” She paused to tug at her line. “Just imagine if you had married someone who was mean or a slob or irresponsible! That would just be terrible. Everything considered, I think you got lucky. You got someone whose good looking, nice, and responsible!”

Gou scowled harder. If she was truly lucky then she never would have drunkenly married Mikoshiba in the first place. They had barely known each other for God’s sake and she had married him. That might be the stupidest thing a person could do but it was definitely up there in the category of bad choices.

Hana did have a point though. Mikoshiba had been very accommodating to her. He had welcomed her into his home rather than begrudgingly let her in. Even if it was not Gou’s fault having to live with him, he could have treated her very resentfully for invading his personal space. He had done the exact opposite instead, even going so far as giving up his own bed for her sake. He was…kind. Then again he always had been to her.

So maybe in some small way Hana was right. Maybe considering the bad situation she had put herself in, she had lucked out that it had been Mikoshiba and not someone else. It was a weird way of thinking but somehow Gou understood it, and felt glad about it.

“Wah!” Hana tilted and nearly fell in as her line jerked. “T-there’s something on the line!” She twitched side to side uselessly. “What do I do?!”

“Reel it in of course!”

“How?!”

“You mean you don’t know?!”

 

-

 

They spent most of the day in luxurious abandon. Fishing (that hadn’t ended so well – after spending nearly twenty minutes figuring out how to reel the fish in, they then had spent another twenty minutes trying to figure out how to get the fish _out_ of the boat), sightseeing, sunbathing, and even a little bit of swimming. As they cruised past the bay, Gou searched for any sign of the Iwatobi boys out doing their regime. As far as she knew they intended to spend most of the day swimming. Lunatics.

They circled the first island then stopped at the second, finding a nice spot to relax at. The islands had been inhabited and apparently quite a tourist attraction a while before, but as the country had descended into their cold war with other nations the tourism had died and the islands’ economy along with it. As such there were a few buildings dotting the islands, though they were all woefully abandoned and a little scary looking. Neither girl wanted to approach them. They were more than happy to stay down at the beach than crawl around those eerie empty structures.

With no one else around they were free to lounge around in their bathing suits without feeling perverted eyes on them. They purposely picked a spot on the side of the island facing out towards the ocean rather than the bay just in case anyone else decided to go into the bay. There were hardly any other boats about. They only saw one and it was too far out for Gou to make out anything clearly.

As it got into the afternoon they ate lunch and, with bellies full and the sun beating down on them, they fell asleep on the sand shortly afterwards. The sound of the waves was a soothing lullaby, reminding Gou of the shell she kept by the bedside at Mikoshiba’s place. It was a perfect place for a nap.

At one point she thought she heard voices. The Iwatobi boys running by perhaps, going about their stamina training. They weren’t loud enough to completely disturb her though and she only twitched at their passing, caught between the dreamy state of awake and asleep.

By the time she did fully awake it was nearly sunset. Groaning, she sat up. She placed a hand to her head, feeling slightly dizzy. Her whole body felt trained and sluggish. Too long being out in the sun. Thank God she had remembered to apply sunscreen.

She moved to wake Hana next to her and after quite a bit of poking and prodding the girl got up. Like Gou the sun had drained her too and she dragged her feet as they began to pack up their stuff to head back.

Hana started up the motor and took them in a wide curve away from the island. Boats were not supposed to go into the bay so she steered them to go on the ocean side of the other island. Everything was going fine. The wind felt great in Gou’s hair and she was thinking of how nice it would be to get back to the hotel room where it was nice and cool away from the sun, and how even a somewhat cold shower sounded delightful, when-

  _Splurt, splurt_. She looked up and towards the back of the boat where the unusual sound had originated from. Hana had noticed it too and was looking down at the motor. The little thing shuddered and made a few more spluttering sounds, then it fell silent. The boat quickly slowed then stopped.

Hana leaned further over to look at the motor and Gou watched with an unnerved feeling. “Did it run out of gas?”

 Hana shook her head. “It has enough gas.” She straightened. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with it.”

Gou knew absolutely nothing about boats and Hana’s knowledge was very limited as well. Unless the problem was something rudimentary and painfully obvious they wouldn’t have a clue how to fix it. “Maybe try restarting it?”

“I can try.” Hana yanked on the cord. The engine made a _wrrrr_ ing sound, as if it were making a valiant effort to start, but did not turn over. Hana made a few more attempts but with little success.

“Is it broken?”

“I-I’m not sure. It looks like it.” If it wasn’t broken it might as well be since they couldn’t figure out how to get it to start. _What perfect timing._ It would break on their way back of all times.

Grimacing, Gou looked out over the water. They were a fair distance from the island. Without the use of the motor it would not be easy to reach.

Then she thought of something and her eyes widened. _My phone._ Of course. Bless technology! One easy phone call and they’d be out of here in no time. Goro knew how to work a boat. He could likely borrow one from a local real quick to come get them. If worse came to worse he’d have to pay to rend one.

Her hand was halfway into her pocket when she suddenly remembered.  She hadn’t brought her phone with her. She had left it behind in the hotel room, too worried about it getting wet to bring it along. She could still vaguely recall placing it down on the dresser right after texting Mikoshiba the location where Hana and her were departing from. It was likely still sitting there.

“Hana-chan, did you bring your phone with you?” she asked hopefully but a shake of the head was the response she received.

Well, that was a no go. They had no way to call for help. In that case…

Gou scooted closer to the side of the boat. Experimentally she dipped her hand into the water and tried giving a little paddle. The boat moved a mere inch or two. Gou frowned. It wasn’t going to be easy but what choice did they have? There were no other boats out there with them and unless a stray jogger or swimmer happened to see them they were sitting ducks. The Iwatobi boys may have been a safe bet but by this time it was highly likely they were back at the camp. From this distance Gou highly doubted they would notice the boat, much less recognize who was in it.

“We’ll have to paddle, Hana-chan.”

“Paddle?” She looked at the far off shore with a grimace. “All that way?”

“The islands are closer,” said Gou. “If we can paddle to one of those we can walk the boat in the swallows. Once we’re at the end of the island close to the beach we can shove off from there.”

She didn’t say it but if worse came to worse they’d be stranded on an island for the night. That scenario would definitely not be enjoyable but it wouldn’t be terrible. They had enough water to get them through the night although not any food. They’d be hungry and sore and tired but safe. When day cam they would be able to flag someone down if it came to that, or wait for the Iwatobi boys to run by doing their regime.

Not to mention Amakata would surely start a search if they failed to show up. It was likely the teacher would sound the alarm in a few hours of their absence. In that case it was very unlikely they would have to spend the night on the island. So long as they made it to an island they would be alright.

Giving in to Gou’s idea, Hana sank down to her knees on the opposite side. Together they began to paddle.

 

-

 

“You know,” Rin said the words almost conversationally, although broodingly, like he was on the verge of talking about something unpleasant and wasn’t sure if he would want to continue with it or not.  So it did not surprise Nitori so much when he followed it with, “I never really was very fond of the ocean.”

Rin sat sprawled in the seat opposite Nitori, arms crossed over his chest, carmine gaze locked on the gold and rose colored bay. The sun was setting and if you looked just right the water almost looked like it was on fire. Or full of blood.

While Nitori wasn’t surprised in what Rin had said, it was still an odd thing to say and even odder coming from Rin. It couldn’t be said he was a quiet person, because he wasn’t, but when he spoke he rarely expressed his true feelings. Most of the time he used what Nitori had come to refer to as illusion feelings. Feelings that were false or more accurately deceptive. As though Rin were expressing one thing so you wouldn’t find the true feeling underneath.

It hadn’t taken long for Nitori to figure that out and it was partly the reason why Nitori prodded him like he did, why he pursued him so diligently, why he badgered him to the point that it drove Rin to anger. Nitori hadn’t considered himself a masochist but maybe he was a little. Because for some odd reason he enjoyed seeing that anger sometimes, even if it were directed at him. Because that anger was a real feeling, even if it wasn’t a pleasant one. It was the one time when Nitori could see Rin, the real Rin, without the façade of fake emotions, of the illusions he normally hid behind.

“Why, sempai?”

Rin pressed his lips together. “When do you swim in the ocean, Nitori?”

Nitori tilted his head to the side. It seemed like a straight forward question but Nitori had the feeling it wasn’t. “Sempai?”

“As a last resort,” Rin plowed on despite Nitori’s lack of answer. “And I’m not talking about recreation. That’s different. That’s meaningless. When it’s swimming with a meaning, you use a pool. Swimming in the ocean, that’s your last resort.” He moved his shoulders slightly. “When do you work in the ocean, Nitori?”

Nitori had a fair idea what the answer would be but remained silent, allowing Rin to answer himself once again.

“As a last resort,” he said. “That’s what the ocean is. Maybe that’s why we know so little about it. Because man sees it as that. Maybe because he recognizes a man only works in the ocean when all your dreams have died, when you’re not sure what to do with yourself or your future anymore. That’s where you go. The ocean is your last resort.”

He was silent for a moment. “Do you know what comes after last resort, Nitori?”

Nitori shivered despite the heat. Was this the real Rin, here at last, or was this another doppelganger, another illusion? Nitori found he wasn’t entirely sure. Rin was the best, and worst, at pretending than anyone Nitori had ever met. “What, sempai?”

Rin bared his teeth. “Defeat.”

 

-

 

“I’m so tired.” Hana sprawled out like a starfish along the back of the boat. “I can’t do it anymore.”

Puffing, Gou peered over the side. They were still nowhere close to the island and in fact they seemed to be drifting in a course dead center between two of them. It was looking like they were going to land up in the bay, though how long that would take was something Gou couldn’t even guess. The current had been working completely against them. No matter how they paddled they couldn’t get close enough to the island. No matter how much water they covered, anytime they stopped to rest their tired limbs they would lose whatever little progress they had made.

 “It’s fine, isn’t it?” Hana wiped a hand across her sweaty brow. “I meant the current will eventually just push us to shore, right?”

“M-maybe.” Gou didn’t know very well how that sort of stuff worked and she could only assume that was correct. However the current was incredibly slow. They seemed to be bobbing simply in one place rather than moving anywhere.

“Or maybe someone will see us out here,” Hana continued. “Let’s just wait a bit and see. I don’t think I can paddle anymore anyway.”

Gou rubbed at her own aching arms. They felt like they were about to fall off and any additional paddling made them burn painfully. She tried half heartedly to continue but after a moment sat back down, too tired to do so. Paddling was fighting a losing battle.

Their last resort was to give up and see where the current would take them, and it seemed like they had come to their last resort. If that didn’t work…

_Well, let’s just hope it does._

A stray breeze picked up and Gou reached for her jacket. The sun was sinking rapidly and it wouldn’t be long before it was dark. The temperature would drop and it would get cold, but Gou had her jacket and Hana had extra layers as well to put on so dealing with the cold wouldn’t be that difficult. Hana had also brought a flashlight along thankfully so they wouldn’t be totally in the dark. If they were lucky it would only be an hour or two before the current pushed them to shore.

With a sigh Gou settled back into the boat and got comfortable. It was a pleasant night and so long as no sudden storms sprang up they would be fine.

Then again, her luck never had been very good.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops some Rin and Nitori slipped in there. I have no idea what I'm doing anymore.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has bookmarked, left kudos, or commented! You guys are amazing!


	12. Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy moly did I get sick. I thought the worse was over with but boy was I wrong. Anyway since I started feeling more like a human being and less like a germ infested wadded up piece of tissue paper I finally managed to get this out.
> 
> Happy (belated) holidays and happy (early) New Years!

Seijuro had never been the type who shied away from things he wanted. Ever since he was a little boy he had been like that and, even when he was young, when he found something he wanted he pursued it with a relentlessness that was staggering. When he had found a specific toy he wanted he would figure out how to get it, whether it be skillfully convincing his parents to buy it for him or earning it himself through odd jobs and the like. When he was determined to beat a boss on a video game he was struggling with, he would sit for hours at a time, throwing himself again and again tenaciously at it until he succeeded. His mother called it persistence, which may have just been a nice way of saying unrelenting. Whatever you wanted to call it, Seijuro had always been that way. Maybe he had picked it up from his parents when he was a baby. Or maybe he had simply been born like that.

Then, when he was in elementary school, he discovered swimming. At first it had been nothing more than pure enjoyment. He was good at it, though not great, and at the beginning he treated it like a leisure activity that didn't deserve his full attention. Perhaps because at that time he hadn't wanted it. That relentless side of his personality, that pertinaciousness, only reared its head when Siejuro really wanted something.

It wasn't until his fist competition when he lost to a boy with dark hair, eyes the color of water, and a perpetually bored expression that he found he wanted to win. Watching him, even as he had been speeding ahead of Seijuro on the fifty meter turn, had almost been like an epiphany.

_The fastest swimmer wins,_ he thought as he watched the gold colored disc placed around the other boy's neck. _That's all._

After that day Seijuro had thrown himself into the sport like he had thrown himself into conquering his video games. He pursued it relentlessly, tuning his body and studying, learning new techniques and methods, adjusting his diet, adjusting his lifestyle. He poured himself into it because he wanted to win. And the fastest swimmer wins.

His hard work, his relentless pursuit, paid off. The wins kept coming, the records kept breaking. He never raced the dark haired boy again, whose name he had come to know by this point, but that wasn't important. Seijuro wasn't after feuds or personal vendettas or holding grudges when he lost. That really wasn't a part of his personality. If he lost, it was because he wasn't the fastest swimmer. That was all.

His hard work paid off again when he entered high school and he was accepted into Samezuka academy. That swimming powerhouse. It was his first time being in a school that was so centered on swimming and as such their swimming team was huge and utterly structured. And at the top presided the swim team captain, that constant head of leadership that called the shots and made the decisions. The one who was in charge. It didn't take long for Seijuro to decide that was the position he wanted to be in.

Like his relentlessness, Seijuro liked being in charge. He didn't want to have anyone else to answer to, didn't want someone else deciding how he would swim or why. He knew he could lead better than most. Maybe it was arrogance for his part thinking like that. Maybe it was selfish. Who knew. But like any other thing he had wanted it life, he had pushed and pushed until he had grasped it.

And once he had it, he took control of it completely. He rid himself of any teacher involvement and advocated for himself to be the sole one in charge. The school had allowed it. He had proven himself capable of it, which he knew he would be, and it gave the school one less thing to worry about while still being delivered superb wins and results.

Seijuro hates having to answer to other people and hates not being in charge. His mother called it independence and self-sufficiency. Seijuro tends to think of it more as self-indulgence. Maybe he's always been a little selfish.

Regardless, Seijuro wasn't used to being hesitant in going after the things he wanted or second guessing himself.

So…why was he second guessing himself now?

In the growing darkness of his hotel room, Seijuro frowned down at his phone and the dilemma he was currently faced with. The scrawling letters of the text he had been compiling glowed back at him. 'Text me when you get back'

The message wasn't what he was concerned about. Seijuro's current dilemma was this: Should he add a smiley face or not?

Should he add one? Girls liked smiley faces didn't they? Or would it come across as too 'cutesy'? Seijuro didn't want to come across as cutesy. He enjoyed sports and hanging out with his bros, he was a manly man. Cutesy was not a term he wanted to be associated with.

Maybe a winking face? No that might come across as perverted.

_I am running out of options._ It had to be a smiley face or none at all. Giving up, he pushed the send button and watched the little envelope travel across his screen. 'Message sent'.

Okay good. That was done.

_But wait…_ What if that message came across as too brusque? What if she read it and thought of it as more of a command than a request? That would come off as totally rude. She might get offended by it.

_Damnit._ Hastily Seijuro went to send a smiley face after it but accidentally sent a frowney one instead.

"Shit!" Sighing, Seijuro tossed the phone onto the table. _I am really terrible at this._ He leaned back and rubbed his face. Whenever it came to texting Gou, he always made himself nervous and freaked out about what to say. He would make himself so nervous he only ended up psyching himself out and end up sending short message that only contained enough to answer her question.

He had never thought of himself as someone who was bad with girls, although in all honesty he had very little experience with them. Going to an all boy school sort of had that effect. Despite that, he didn't feel like he was someone who was bad with the opposite sex. In public he had caught more than a few stares on his person and a few unasked numbers slipped his way. When he did flirt, the few times he had, he had gotten pretty positive responses. So he wasn't bad with girls. It was just _this_ girl that he seemed to turn into an unsure bag of useless jelly with.

He looked dejectedly at the silent phone. Purposely he had left the device in his room, an action that was unusual for him. His cell phone was his main form of communication with his swim team members while in this country so he was careful to keep it with him at all times just in case, but today all his swimming members had been at the pool. Due to that he had felt it was safe enough for him to leave it behind and, if he hadn't, he knew he would have only fiddled with it all day and distracted himself, something he couldn't afford in the short amount of practice time they got.

It was nearly past sunset. Gou should have been back by now. He had hoped there would be a message waiting for him but he had returned from his swimming to a blank amount of messages.

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, rubbing his face again. The situation couldn't be called infuriating but it was certainly frustrating. Just the fact that he had noticed he didn't have any messages and was disappointed by it was frustrating. It was only making him realize the truth of the matter.

And the truth of the matter was he was interested in Gou. There it was. It wasn't something that was exactly new. Ever since he had met her he had been interested in her. He was attracted to her in a physical sense, _that_ much was obvious, and he had been interested in getting to know her since their first meeting. That night at the bar, their first night here, he had felt like maybe that attraction was mutual. Before then Gou had always been cordial and polite, but had shown nothing that had made it seem like she was interested in him in anything besides an acquaintance. He wouldn't even have gone so far to call her interest a friendship. Her approaching him about the joint practice had been because Iwatobi needed the pool and because Gou's brother was on his swim team. If it weren't for that, Gou would have never approached him.

But that night at the bar things had been different. It had seemed like she was interested, interested in him, and Seijuro had finally been making progress. Then he had gone and shot himself in his own foot.

Getting married. Getting married while drunk. So stupid and so foolish. He had been so panicked about the situation he had put himself in that any feelings he had towards Gou had gotten shoved to the background momentarily forgotten. But now, now that things had calmed down and they had reached a place of relative calm regarding their circumstances, those feelings were arising once again. There had been short instances where they had flared up and he had been unsure what to categorize them as, like when they had gone conch hunting and the dinner at Iwatobi's place. But those feelings had occurred more strongly at the shipwreck, and again at the zoo, and again that night when she had gone out with her friends. Strong enough he could recognize them for what they were.

He found himself _missing_ her. Ever since the zoo he had barely seen her at all. She had been busy with her swim team and her friends. That was understandable and that wasn't the problem. The problem was he _noticed_ how much little time he had gotten to spend with her the last few days. It was why he found himself making excuses to see her, like checking out the Iwatobi camp site – although he had genuinely been curious if the boys had been serious or not about that – and seeing her off when she went out this morning, or texting her now to let him know when she returned.

Seijuro went after things he wanted. The more time he was spending around Gou, the more he found he _wanted_.

Therein lay his dilemma. Gou wasn't like other things he had wanted and pursued in life. Those things had depended entirely on him and how much effort he put towards them. This time it involved another person with feelings and thoughts of their own. He couldn't pursue her relentlessly. That would only drive her away, especially with their current situation. Any progress he had made at the bar had been snuffed out by their accidental marriage. That wasn't entirely his fault, for Gou's name was on that paper too. Why she had gone along with it Seijuro wasn't sure and he wasn't about to ask her. More than likely she had been too drunk to be any sort of coherent. Maybe she herself didn't know why she had done it.

_So what am I supposed to do?_

For the first time in his life Seijuro really wasn't sure. There was no golden rule like the fastest swimmer always wins for him to follow this time. He had no experience in pursuing a relationship. He had been so focused on his swimming and leading the swim team he had never considered having one. Until Gou came stumbling and crashing into his life in pursuit of her brother that is. Funny to think if Matsuoka, scowly Matsuoka of all people, hadn't come to the school he would never have met Gou. To think it would be scowly Matsuoka's sister of all people that Seijuro would find himself allured by. If someone had told him that a year ago he would have laughed at it.

From the door there came a knock, disrupting Seijuro from his thoughts. It couldn't be Gou. She wouldn't come over without asking first. Which meant it had to be someone from his swim team. "Yes?"

"It's Nakagawa, Captain. You asked me to come over to look over the swimming events."

Nakagawa. He was Seijuro's sort of second-in-command, someone he relied upon and sometimes allowed to lead the other members when he needed a break. Seijuro had been so busy in his internal musing he had forgotten Nakagawa was going to come by to discuss what swimmers would be competing in which event. Good. He could use the distraction and it needed to be done anyway. "Come in."

Nakagawa was in the same year as Seijuro but a year younger. He had a youngish looking face that made him look younger than he truly was, with dark eyes and dark hair that had a tendency to be rather spiky at the top and smooth out at the bottom. "Here's the list." He handed him a chart with the different events and names underneath them. "I've arranged it by who wants to do what."

Seijuro looked it over. For the most part he tried to be as accommodating as possible when it came to letting his teammates participate in the events they wanted to. Occasionally he would move them around for performance reasons and to give precedence to older students, but he only tried to do that when absolutely necessary. The one major exception was the medley relay. The relay wasn't just about personal performance but group performance as well so for that one Seijuro had to be pickier with whom participated. They had to not only be good on their own but mesh well with the others, be able to pick up on certain cues from their teammates and listen to each other. For the relay Seijuro sent out only his absolute best.

"Matsuoka is requesting the 100m free?" asked Seijuro in some surprise.

"He is. He requested it the other day."

"That's the only event he requested?"

"That's right."

That was a bit odd. Matsuoka's strongest stroke tended to be the butterfly and he had good times with it. He was a good free swimmer as well but Seijuro would have expected him to request butterfly over free to give him a better chance at winning. Or at least request it along with free. For him to be focused strictly on the 100m free was unusual. _Well, I'm sure he has his reasons._

"Alright, go ahead and keep him there. We'll move Nitori over to the 400m."

"Yes, Captain."

Nitori was likely to be disappointed, but in terms of endurance he had a slight advantage over Matsuoka and Matsuoka was faster. The 100m free suited him better than Nitori.

He went over the others with Nakagawa. They were permitted up to four swimmers in each event and one relay team. Seijuro planned to use that to his advantage. Having such a big swim team allowed him a better chance of placing at least one swimmer in the finals, and he planned to have all four in each of the eleven events in the finals if he could help it.

"Have you decided on anyone for the relay?"

Seijuro shook his head. "Not yet." They still had almost a month and a half before the first competition. He had sometime to decide. There were some good names on there; he'd have to think about it.

It was dark outside and well past sunset by the time Nakagawa and him were finished. "We'll go over it one more time before the competition and make any changes if we need to," said Seijuro. "I think the night before the competition will be good. I'll finalize the relay set before then."

"Sounds good. I'll let the guys know what they'll be doing." Nakagawa gathered his papers and as he did so he motioned to the window. "Looks like there's a bad storm brewing."

"A storm?" Seijuro could only barely make out the thunderheads in the darkness of the night through the window, but the trees swaying haphazardly were a dead giveaway for the wind. Rain was starting to splatter as well.

"Yeah. Ueda told me he heard that they can be bad around here this time of year. The authorities won't even go out in it."

Seijuro frowned. "I see."

Once the other boy had departed Seijuro reached for his phone. It had been troublesomely quiet and flipping it open revealed no missed calls or zero messages either. Seijuro frowned harder. Surely Gou must have returned by now. She had said they would be back by sunset at the latest and it was way past sunset now.

_I'd best wait for a bit._ Everything was likely fine and he was worrying too much. Gou and Hana might have stopped by the Iwatobi camp site on their way back and were just late. It wouldn't do to go raving over there all concerned and have Gou be alright. He'd only end looking like an over reactive, overprotective boyfriend or… _Or husband_. He shook his head with a slight frown. It wouldn't do to think like that.

So he forced himself to wait. He flicked on the TV but even if he had been able to understand the language, he wouldn't have been paying attention to it anyway. He tried to distract himself by going over which swim members would be doing what in his head again but that didn't take much time at all. He fiddled with his phone, looking through his old messages and missed calls. That reminded him he needed to call his mother soon. He hadn't spoken to her since the first day he had arrived and since then he had been purposely avoiding making that call. Trying to explain to her that he had gotten married while drunk was really not a conversation he wanted to have. He could call and try not to mention that but he was afraid of slipping up and accidentally saying something that would lead to him having to confess. So for now he had just been avoiding any contact. International calls were expensive anyway. If anyone asked, that was his excuse.

Seijuro looked to the window. The wind had picked up and rain was now lashing against the glass. It was looking pretty nasty out. The Iwatobi boys were going to have a rough night.

And still no response from Gou. _Maybe she just hadn't checked her phone yet?_ If that was the case then…

Seijuro scrolled down to her name. He had never called her before. They had only texted. If she saw him calling she would know something was out of the ordinary and answer. He hit the call button and waited, finger tapping on his knee as he listened to the ringing, leg moving more rapidly as the ringing dragged on.

Voicemail.

He flipped the phone closed without leaving one. She wasn't avoiding him. Gou wasn't the type who would do such a thing and she had never failed to respond to his texts before. If she wasn't answering it was because she didn't have her phone with her.

Maybe she had fallen asleep? That didn't seem right. Maybe she was in the shower? _For this long though?_

He scrolled through his contacts but foolishly he had not thought to get any of the other Iwatobi members' phone numbers. It had never crossed his mind before. Since Gou and him lived together he had always just communicated through her. Now he was kicking himself for not having the foresight to get anyone else's number. Then again even if he had they likely wouldn't have their phones with them or turned on considering where they were currently staying. _They're probably asleep by this point too._

He tapped his fingers against his knee some more. There was no helping it. Like the night Gou had gone out to the bar, he would not be able to settle until he knew everything was alright. He stood up and reached for his sandals. He may end up looking like a complete idiot, going over there and everything being alright, but he'd rather have that than something actually be wrong. If he was lucky it would just be something stupid like she had left her phone on vibrate and forgot to check it.

Outside the hotel the rain and wind was worse than he had thought. The cold rain was coming down in thick torrential sheets and the wind was buffeting. The sky was pitch black and there was a heavy atmosphere to the air. He hadn't brought an umbrella with him but thankfully Gou's hotel was not too far from his own.

Inside Gou's room it was dark. Knocking on the door brought no one and as he peered through the window he could see no one was there. All three women were absent, including the teacher that had come with them. Luckily Sasabe's room, which was next door to Gou's, did have lights on.

To Seijuro's slight surprise, it was Amakata who answered the door. She blinked. "Mikoshiba-san?"

"Sorry to disturb you." Behind the teacher Sasabe appeared, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt of too many bright colors. "Is Gou here?"

"Gou?" Amakata blinked some more. She looked up at Sasabe. "N-no, she isn't. W-we thought she was-"

"We thought she was with you," Sasabe finished for her.

Seijuro shook his head. "I haven't seen her since she left this morning. Did she not come back here?"

"She hasn't been back here," said Amakata. "She didn't have her phone with her so couldn't call her. We assumed since she hadn't come back here that she had gone off with you…"

Seijuro shook his head again. "She hasn't been with me." He turned towards the bay. They couldn't possibly still be out there, could they? Had something happened to them?

"Well, I'm sure it's fine," said Sasabe, calm and collected. Seijuro was glad for it. He was already on edge and Sasabe's lack of panic was somewhat reassuring. "Her and Hana are likely down at the Iwatobi camp. If they got caught there in the rain they'd wait for the weather to die down before heading back." He reached for his shoes by the door. "Still, we should go down and take a look just in case."

The two men headed down together. Amakata stayed behind. The teacher had wanted to come but Sasabe insisted there was no need for her to come and get soaked through too. "Don't worry, we'll be back shortly," Sasabe reassured her and reluctantly she had agreed.

"What time was Gou supposed to be back?" asked Sasabe as they went down the stairs.

"Sunset."

Sasabe's face twitched in consternation but when he spoke his voice was still calm. "I'm sure it's alright. Gou's a smart and responsible kid." He paused. "Well, _most_ of the time she's a smart and responsible kid. I'm sure she just got sidetracked with the Iwatobi boys."

Seijuro hoped so.

They got down to the beach and to say the weather was nasty was an understatement. Seijuro had to shield his eyes from the rain being swept into his face and in front of him Sasabe's Hawaiian shirt was getting whipped about like a colorful sail. The sea was a frothing wild mess, the waves clashing violently against each other.

"This is one heck of a storm." Seijuro could scarcely hear Sasabe over the wind and rain. "I don't think I've seen one this bad in about ten years."

It was slow going along the beach. The wet sand made walking difficult and they were constantly being battered by sharp gusts of wind and cold sheets of rain. The lack of visibility didn't help either. Seijuro's clothes stuck to him like a second skin, thoroughly soaked.

Faintly ahead of them they could see the yellow of the tents. The yellow canvas was rippling greatly and the whole structure was jerking a bit but both tents were still holding firm. At least the Iwatobi boys were safe and sound. It would be bad if they got caught out in the storm.

"Both tents are still up." Sasabe nearly had to shout to be heard. "I bet they're there."

_I hope so._ Seijuro peered into the bay. It was so dark he could barely make out anything, not even the islands. And then suddenly something flashed. Out in the center of the bay, a pinprick of sudden light. It waved erratically and it almost looked like a…a

_A flashlight._

"Sasabe!"

The coach turned. His mouth fell open. "Is that…"

Lightning flashed and for a moment it lit up the bay. There was a boat. A small familiar boat that was hardly the size of a bathtub getting tossed and pitched violently in the unruly waves. And two small figures clinging to it.

"Don't tell me they're in the bay!" Sasabe cried.

A large swollen wave rose above the boat. The craft tilted dangerously and spun, dragged full tilt into the trough of the wave. Then the wave came crashing down and, as it did so, the boat flipped, dumping its two occupants into the churning waters.

Seijuro started forward. He tore off his shirt and threw it to the sand; it would only cause drag and slow him down. He kicked off his shoes.

"Mikoshiba!"

"Go get the authorities!" Seijuro moved into the waves. The water wasn't cold but it rocked him almost as soon as he dove into it and he struggled to keep his footing in the shallow water.

"That's dangerous!" Sasabe tore off his Hawaiian shirt and was coming in after him. "You can't go in by yourself!"

They swam in the direction where they had seen the light come from. The waves kept smacking into Seijuro's face and they pushed him in different directions, dragging him with them.

"Swim beneath the surface!" Sasabe's voice came from slightly behind him. "It'll be calmer beneath there!"

He did as the othersaid. It did eliminate some of the push and pull, and the waves smacking into him, but it was harder to see where he was going and where the figures in the water might be. He kept below when he could but rose up frequently to check his direction.

The two figures had been driven apart. They bobbed in the waves, struggling to stay above the water as their bodies rose and fell with the swells.

Seijuro approached the closest one. "Gou!"

She turned slightly in his direction. It was her. "Miko-" The rest of his name was swallowed by the wave that smacked into her, ducking her under.

He dove beneath the surface to go after her and a moment later he snagged onto her jacket. Pulling her to him, he rose above the surface, fighting to keep them steady against the onslaught of the waves. "Are you alright?!"

"I-I'm fine." She coughed against his chest. "Where's Hana-chan?!"

He searched for the other girl and spotted her several meters from them. Sasabe had gone past him and was already quickly approaching Hana. "Sasabe's got her."

Quickly he surveyed their surroundings, seeking the dark forms of the islands. There was one to their left. It wasn't very close but it was the safest place to swim too, they would have to head there. He turned back to call out to Sasabe.

Just in time to see the large wave crash down on top of the other two.

"Sasabe!"

It swallowed them completely and desperately Seijuro's gaze roved over the waves. _Did they…_

A moment later he spotted them. Further away, washed quite far from him and Gou, Sasabe's hand was in the air waving to him, signaling they were alright. The coach began to swim in the direction of another island, Hana beside him. Those two were alright.

Now Seijuro had to take care of himself. And the girl in his arms.

Holding onto Gou, Seijuro started towards the island.

 

-

 

By the time they reached the island Seijuro was exhausted. He stumbled rather than walked out of the surf and once they were clear of the water, he collapsed into a sitting position, one leg splayed out before him and the other bent at the knee. Gou lay in his arms, her upper body against his chest and abdomen, her legs between his own.

He sat there for a bit catching his breath. Gou was shaking against him. Whether it was from cold or exhaustion he didn't know. Probably both. God knew how long they had been stuck in that boat battling that storm. She was soaked through and all she had on was her jacket and bathing suit. The rain had not abated either.

"Hana-chan," she said quietly. Still worried about her friend. Seijuro hadn't seen what had ultimately happened to the other two but they should be okay. Sasabe was a good swimmer and experienced besides. If Seijuro had made it with Gou, Sasabe should have been able to reach the other island with Hana.

_What to do now?_

Suddenly Seijuro remembered something. He had left his phone in his pocket. If it was still working he could call Nakagawa or one of the other members. They would be able to alert the local authorities for help. One phone call and they could be off this island in no time. If his phone still worked anyway. It was a long shot but…

He reached into his pocket. At the removal of his arm and his shifting Gou looked questionably up and she watched as he pulled out the phone.

"Shit." As expected it was dead. The salt water had taken care of that. The phone was pretty much nothing but a paper weight now. _Well, that's out._

He looked about the island. Supposedly there were still buildings on the islands, he had heard Nagisa talking about it when he had come to look at their camp. Even if the buildings were abandoned and empty it would be better shelter than sitting out in the open under the rain.

He found one a moment later. A tall circular building on the far corner of the island. _A lighthouse_. Perfect.

"There's a lighthouse over there." He tilted his head in its direction. "Do you think you can walk to it?"

Gou stretched up to see where he indicated and nodded once she caught sight of it. Her teeth were chattering too hard for her to talk it seemed. Seijuro, in nothing but shorts, felt the cold as well, and while he didn't think it was cold enough for hypothermia to occur, he wasn't about to risk it. They had to get out of the rain and somewhere dry, and right now their best option was that lighthouse.

The lighthouse was on a tall cliff but luckily a path remained that was still relatively clear and smooth leading up to it.

"Lysandros." Seijuro read the name off the sign posted above the door.

"It's the western most island," said Gou. Her teeth were still chattering and she was hugging herself to try and keep warm. "I think this island was used more for monitoring maritime traffic in the bay than for tourism."

_She would know something like that._

It was dark inside but even Gou didn't hesitate going in, her desire to get out of the rain stronger than any fear of the darkness. That didn't stop her from huddling rather close to Seijuro however, not that he was complaining about it. From the little he could see in the the dim light, the lighthouse was not too big. Just two small adjoining rooms and a nook to their left.

Gou pointed to a nearby wall. "A flashlight."

It was more of a lantern than a flashlight. It worked surprisingly enough, giving Seijuro the impression the lighthouse must have been abandoned only a few years ago. Or the authorities had placed the lantern there for people in emergencies like Gou and himself.

The glow of the lantern revealed he had been right in his earlier assessment. The lighthouse was composed of two small rooms, one being a mesh between dining and kitchen and the other a mix of bedroom and living room, and a little nook in the corner. There was an old looking fridge and stove, as well as a small table and some chairs. Two small beds had been built into the wall in the bedroom area against windows and across from them Seijuro could see winding stairs that lead up to what he could only assume was the top of the lighthouse and a slightly ajar door revealed a tiny bathroom.

_Well, it's definitely better than nothing._

"It isn't bad," said Gou. "It's just like a little ca-cab-" Her face scrunched and she sneezed, followed by a huge sniffle. "Oh jeez."

That wasn't a good sign _._ She was still wrapped in her sodden jacket, likely too embarrassed to take it off with just her swimsuit underneath. He had to get her out of those wet clothes but wasn't about to demand that she do so.

Two small closets had been built into the wall by the beds and Seijuro headed there. If there was likely to be anything that could be used in place of Gou's jacket, it would be in there. And he was right. In the closets were two blankets. Old blankets that looked a little scratchy but blankets none the less.

"Here." Seijuro held one out to her. "Use this to warm up. You're likely to catch a cold in that jacket."

Sniffling, Gou took it from him. "Thanks."

He turned his back while she slipped her jacket off, making sure to keep his eyes on other things until she had wrapped the blanket about herself. Her bathing suit she left on but that was fine. It would dry quickly, unlike the jacket. She shuffled over to the chairs, wrapped up in the blanket like a cocoon, and draped her jacket over it to dry.

She looked over at the small kitchen area. "Do you think there's any water?" Her stomach growled and she grimaced, as though embarrassed.

Seijuro smiled a little. "Sounds like someone's hungry."

"You can't blame me," she said shrilly, as if she had to justify her hunger or something. "I haven't eaten since around early afternoon."

That _was_ a long time ago. Come to think of it what time was it now? Honestly Seijuro didn't have a clue. It could have been eleven or close to the AM for all he knew. If his stupid phone worked he could have checked. _If there's blankets and a lantern here there's bound to be some food too._

He moved into the kitchen to search, starting with the lower cabinets. Gou moved past him to check something herself but Seijuro didn't look up to see what she was aiming for. The lower cabinets were pretty much empty for a few bottles of cleaner. Not exactly a good thing to drink if they wanted to remain among the living.

"Seijuro," said Gou.

His first name? Seijuro paused in surprise. _She's never called me by that before._ She had always addressed him as Captain or Mikoshiba or a combination of both. But this time she had called him by his first name. Hearing her addressing him so familiarly suddenly, it made him feel exhilarated and his heart rate to speed up.

She stood in front of an open door that appeared to be the pantry and, when he looked over, she gestured up. On one the higher shelves there cames the gleam of the lantern light on cans. She was too short to reach them.

"Oh, good."He retrieved the cans and found that behind them were several bottles of water. Once he had brought them to the table they were able to see what the cans contained.

Pineapple and mackerel.

Gou's eyelids lowered to half mast. "You have got to be kidding me."

Seijuro did his best to suppress his laugh, although he didn't miss the glare Gou shot his way.

Her hunger must have been stronger than her annoyance for she still proceeded to eat the stuff. Together in fact. Seijuro's lip curled as he watched her place the wet pineapple slice over the top of the chunky fleshy looking fish.

"You're really going to eat those together?" _How disgusting._

Gou shrugged as though it were completely normal. "It's similar to what I've been eating to begin with at the camp."

_How_ a piece of canned mackerel and canned pineapple smeared across it was similar to pineapple pizza Seijuro had no clue. He managed to choke some of it down, enough that any flickering signs of hunger that were developing were quelled. Unlike Gou, who ate it without hesitation. Not that Seijuro was surprised. Being around the Iwatobi boys for so long she must have been exposed to some truly awful food stuffs.

When she had gotten her fill, she yawned and sniffled. "What do we do now?" She looked towards the window. "Looks like we're going to be here for the night."

She was right. It was still raining and even if it wasn't Seijuro wouldn't have felt comfortable making the swim back to the shore in the dark. While he wasn't afraid of the ocean he didn't have any strong desire to go swimming around in water where he wouldn't be able to see anything around him. "We should get some sleep." He turned to the beds. "Those don't look too bad."

They weren't. They were a little hard but not bad enough that sleeping would be next to impossible.

"It'll do," said Seijuro, sitting down and bouncing to test it. "Better than sleeping on the floor anyway."

He got up to allow Gou to get in. She crawled in and perched at the head of the bed. "It's not half bad. Kind of cozy. Almost like being on a window seat." She wrapped the blanket more tightly about herself. Her head lowered. "I hope Hana-chan and Goro are okay."

"I'm sure they're fine." Seijuro sat down on the edge of the bed. He chuckled. "I bet they're better off than we are now. You know Sasabe. He's tenacious. I wouldn't be surprised if they're back at the hotel already."

She laughed a little. "Yeah, you're probably right." She sobered. "Sorry about your phone."

"It's alright." It wasn't an expensive piece and he could easily replace it once they got back. Although having to get all his swim team members' phone numbers again…Now _that_ was going to be a bit of a pain.

"H-How did you know we were out there?" Gou asked him.

He opened his mouth and then closed it. He wasn't sure how to answer that, not without saying all the thoughts that had been running through his head when he had been sitting in his hotel room.

"I thought something might be wrong when you hadn't shown back up," he said instead. "Sasabe and Amakata hadn't seen you either. Sasabe and I were actually on our way to check the Iwatobi camp site when we happened to catch sight of you in the bay."

"O-oh." She was silent for a moment. Then, quietly, "Thank you for saving me."

He smiled. She didn't need to thank him for that. At all. "You're welcome." He patted her knee and rose. "Get some sleep. We'll figure out a way back in the morning."

She took a deep breath and sniffled. "Okay." She squirmed and wiggled to lie down and get comfortable, coughing a tad.

Through the window of his own bed Seijuro could see the rain was starting to disperse a bit. There were even some breaks in the cloud cover and stars were peeking through. If they were lucky the storm would end shortly and be long over with it by the time the sun arose. Seijuro hoped so. Gou didn't sound so good and having her going out into the rain and getting soaked again would only cause her to get worse.

_We'll deal with that in the morning._ Seijuro lay back on the bed and tried to get some sleep.

 

-

 

Early morning found them standing on the beach overlooking the bay. The sky was clear and blue, the sun was shining bright, and the water was utterly calm, still to the point of being mirror like. If Seijuro hadn't known any better he would never have thought such a strong storm had occurred last night. There didn't seem to be any lingering evidence of such a storm having come through here.

Across from them stood the mainland and the hotels. It was still early. Most of Samezuka's swim team might be up but they would be doing other things. They likely wouldn't notice his absence for another hour or more. _Stupid phone._

Further down the beach were the Iwatobi tents'. If any of the Iwatobi boys had been up and about Seijuro might have been able to wave to get their attention but so far he had not seen any sort of activity from there. The boys might have had trouble sleeping last night due to the storm and were now sleeping in late.

Slightly behind Seijuro Gou stood. She had traded in the blanket for her jacket once more, but despite having the jacket on and the warm sun beating down on her she was still shivering and sniffling. "I don't think I can swim that far," she said.

The distance between the island they were on and the mainland was a fair distance but not exceptionally far. Regardless, Seijuro wouldn't have asked her to swim, not in the condition she was in. On the other hand he should be able to easily. If he had been able to swim as far as he had yesterday in the midst of a storm then swimming this distance now under clear skies with calm waters shouldn't be a problem at all. Besides, he was supposed to be a competitive swimmer. If he couldn't manage this he was pathetic. Even if he was running strictly on the energy from canned mackerel and pineapple. Ugh. He hated thinking about that.

"It's alright. I'll go to the shore and bring back help." He stretched his arms over his head. "Wait here."

She was staring at his back for some odd reason. In fact she seemed to be utterly transfixed and her eyes had a strange sparkle to them. "Gou?"

She started. "Huh? What? Yes, I mean of course, great. I'll just…I'll just wait…over here." She coughed and shuffled away a few feet. Was she actually blushing or was that just the heat?

Seijuro started into the water. The temperate of the water was pleasant and it provided no resistance. It was easy swimming and he was making good time, but he could feel fatigue pulling at him. Last night had taken a lot out of him apparently.

He was a little over halfway to the mainland when he spotted the boat. It was leaving the shore and presently coming into the bay, and by the colors and designs on its hull, it had to be one of the local authorities. Seijuro stopped in the water and waved to it, gaining its attention shortly afterwards.

The authority guiding the boat didn't speak Japanese and Seijuro didn't speak the local language, but they each spoke enough English they could communicate well enough.

"So many out during a storm," commented the authority after Seijuro had told him about Gou and they had started heading in the direction of that island. "I picked up two others already." The authority clucked his tongue in reprimand.

Two others? _Could that be…_ "Were the two others you picked up a young girl and an older man? He'd have a dark star in his hair?"

The man said a word that Seijuro recognized as yes. "I picked them up and brought them back already." He glanced back at him. "You know them?"

Seijuro nodded and the man shook his head. "Crazy foreigners. What were you doing out in the middle of a storm?"

Seijuro chuckled dryly. "Fishing."

Gou was still standing on the beach when the boat pulled up. Seijuro reached out a hand to help her in. The waves made the boat unsteady and Gou wasn't so steady herself due to her not feeling so well. The boat rocked and Gou stumbled into him. He steadied her and they sat down a little heavily, Gou's side nearly pressed against his own. It was just as well for, when the boat really started up, so did the wind. Gou shivered and huddled closer, her upper half leaning over his legs and near his chest. Using him to help block the wind. Well, Seijuro wasn't complaining. He'd be more than happy to help block the wind if she wanted him to.

They were halfway to the shore when the boat suddenly made a turn to head further into the bay. The man grumbled something in his own language, followed by, "Crazy foreigners."

Seijuro blinked. There were others out there? Besides Sasabe and Hana, and Gou and himself? He leaned back to look. Indeed there were. Four figures were in the middle of the bay, seemingly in the process of swimming from the middlemost island to the shore. One of them was using a kickboard and another one was swimming freestyle. _Four of them and one swimming freestyle…_

Gou looked up. "Is that…"

"Iwatobi." Seijuro finished for her.

And it was. A few minutes later the four had safely entered the boat and taken a seat, with Rei and Nagisa next to Gou and Haru and Makoto across from them. The four boys were puffing with exertion and looked absolutely exhausted but they were unhurt. For some reason the only one out of the four of them wearing proper swimming jammers was Rei.

"Gou." Makoto sounded just as surprised to find her there as she was at finding them, which Seijuro could only assume meant the Iwatobi Captain had been totally unaware of what had occurred. "What happened to you?"

"We had some boat trouble," Gou said simply. She had not moved from Seijuro's side and despite Iwatobi being there had not distanced the space between them either. "Why are _you_ guys out here? What happened?"

The four boys looked hesitantly at each other, as though unsure about how to answer. Rei cleared his throat. "It was I. I was-"

"We were swimming," Haru interrupted him. Rei looked his way in surprise but Haru didn't glance back.

There was a second of silence. "Swimming?" Gou sounded like she couldn't believe it.

"Yes," said Haru.

"At night?"

"Yes."

"In the ocean?"

"Yes."

Gou stared at him for a long moment but Haru's stoic expression did not flicker in the slightest. Makoto was pursing his lips and Rei's mouth was strangely hanging open though. The Iwatobi boys could be really weird sometimes.

Gou shook her head and the next instant she voiced Seijuro's thought aloud. "You guys are so weird sometimes."

But for some reason all that did was make them laugh.

 

-

 

He was running along the beach, doing his early morning jog – because he's a swimmer and swimmer's like to stay in shape, damnit, despite Nitori complaining it was too early - when he saw it. The two tents. Just as Gou had said. He almost hadn't believed her when she had told him where the Iwatobi boys were staying, and it had been even less believable when she had told him where they were swimming. He couldn't fathom how Makoto would have agreed to such a thing, not with his fear of the ocean. A fear Rin understood all too well.

He wasn't jogging along the beach because of that though. Absolutely not. It just happened to be a good jogging path. That was all.

A noise drew his attention and he looked towards the bay. A boat was coming in, a boat that looked to belong to the local authorities, with several occupants aboard. From where Rin was standing he could see the blue haired boy known as Rei and Haru sitting in the boat though none of the others past them.

"What the heck are they doing?" Shaking his head, thinking some mysteries were better left as such, Rin continued his jog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some research into how many competitors a swimming team can send into each swimming event but the only concrete evidence I could find said four so I decided to go with that. If anyone has any experience with this or knows for sure please let me know.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has commented, bookmarked, or left kudos! Seriously you guys are way too kind considering how long this fic is taking. Hopefully now things will start to speed up.


	13. Conscience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone got me into Kuroko no Basket and so I've been spending the last week pretty much being obsessed with that. My harddrive is nothing but KnB and Free now. (Both animes about gay boys competing in sports, I wonder if this is going to be a trend with me now). I also got summoned for jury duty ha. That will be a hoot.

If there was a top ten list of worst things that could happen to you on vacation – and there might very well be but Gou didn't have access to the internet out here – Gou was fairly certain being sick would be at the top. Or at least in the top five. The only things she could think of that could possibly be worse were getting arrested, getting mauled by foreign wildlife, or forgetting sunscreen.

"Achoo!" Gou rocked backwards. "Ugh. This is ridiculous." She sniffled loudly. "How in God's name did I get sick?"

"Well, you _were_ out in the cold in the middle of a storm for a long time," Seijuro pointed out. He handed her another tissue. "It's no surprise you got sick."

Oh yeah, another one to add to the list of worst things to happen to you on vacation. Getting caught in a natural disaster. And of course both had happened to Gou. It was amazing she hadn't gotten trampled by a hippo at that nocturnal zoo. _My luck is the worst._

"You know my mother used to say when you sneeze it means someone is talking bad about you." Hana sent Gou a sly look from where she sat near the foot of the bed.

"Hush, you. Even when I'm sick you make me a target of your teasing. I should kick you out."

Hana only laughed at the empty threat. Gou took the tissue from Seijuro and held it to her nose, trying to prevent another sneeze.

Several hours had passed since their rescue. It was Amakata, worried when Goro and Seijuro had failed to show back up with Hana and Gou, who had gone to the authorities. The authorities would not go out during the storm due to the danger, much to Amakata's distress, but once the storm had cleared a boat had been sent out. Goro and Hana had been located first, and then Seijuro and her. And the Iwatobi boys. What they had been doing out swimming at night Gou still had no idea. Nighttime swimming hadn't been in their training regime, at least not as far as Gou knew. They had remained tight lipped about it too. Well so long as they were all safe and unhurt Gou didn't care about their nighttime maritime adventures.

Since returning to the hotel room she had been confined to bed. Hana and Amakata had been her near constant companions and the Iwatobi boys had been filtering in and out once they had caught up on some much needed sleep. Apparently they had been up all night. Seijuro had returned as well, after having departed shortly after their return to the mainland to go deal with his swim team. With his phone broken he had no way to communicate with them but to go there in person.

"Did everything go alright with Samezuka?" asked Gou.

"They're fine at the pool. Nakagawa's taking care of it for the day. They'll be alright."

"Are you not going to practice with them today, Mikoshiba-san?" asked Hana.

Seijuro's mouth twisted into an ironic smirk. "No. I think I got enough practice last night."

"I think we all did." Gou's eyes narrowed as she watched Nagisa trying to sneak a strawberry from the carton Amakata had got her. Despite their long ordeal last night Nagisa was still full of pep and energy. _Some people are just gifted like that I suppose._ Or cursed.

Rei catapulted to his feet and seized Nagisa's wrist before the smaller boy was able to sample one of the delectable fruits. "Don't eat that, Nagisa-kun! You'll get sick! That has Gou-san's germs on it!"

"Don't act like I'm diseased!" Gou protested.

Nagisa twisted in Rei's grasp but did little else to escape the taller boy's hold. "It's fine, Rei-chan. I'm sure one strawberry won't hurt."

"That sort of thinking is how people end up getting sick!" Rei proclaimed. "And being sick _is_ being diseased, Gou-san!"

"I'm not that sick!" She sneezed loudly.

"See!" Hana cried. "It is true! You sneeze when people talk bad about you!"

_You're no help at all, Hana,_ thought Gou grouchily as Seijuro handed her another tissue.

"I-I'm pretty sure it just means she has a cold." Makoto gave one of those uncomfortable chuckles of him. His face smoothed out and he smiled. "Still, I'm glad everyone is alright. Things could have been ended up being a lot worse."

Truly they could have been. If Seijuro and Goro hadn't been looking for them then her and Hana would have been…Well, Gou didn't really want to think about that. And maybe it was sort of nice and rather comforting to think Seijuro had been worried about her. Worried enough to the point he would go looking for her. He had noticed her absence that much.

When she had gotten back to her room she had seen the texts from him. Even a missed call too. He had never called her before. He had been trying to get into contact with her that desperately.

Although there had been that text with nothing but a frowney face. That had been a bit odd. Maybe he had meant he was frowning because she wasn't responding? Gou wasn't sure.

_Yet now his phone is broken and it's my fault._ There would be no more texts, not even frowney face ones, until he replaced it. She frowned at her lap. He had risked his life for her and it had cost him not only missing out on a practice that could detriment them placing in the tournament but a phone as well. A cheap phone but it was his main form of communication with his swim team. _It will have to be replaced._

The sudden sound of footsteps racing turbulently up the stairs made everyone look up. "Whose that?" Nagisa asked Haru, the closest one to the open door.

Haru shrugged. He leaned out the door to look and his eyes widened. "It's-"

"Gou!" Rin careened into the open doorway of the hotel room. His hands grasped the frame on either side as if needing it for support. He was breathing fast and hard, eyes wide and pupils unnaturally dilated, hair utterly tousled and still dripping wet from what must be pool water.

Gou stiffened. "Br-brother?!" _What is he doing here?_

Seijuro slid away from her bedside, smoothly putting some distance between herself and him. Rin didn't even acknowledge his swim team captain's unusual presence. In fact he didn't acknowledge anyone's presence except for Gou's.

"Gou!" Immediately he came over to her, passing Seijuro so close Seijuro would have touched him if he shifted ever so slightly, but Rin didn't even glance his way. He kneeled down beside the bed and grasped her hands. "What happened? Are you alright?"

_Oh good._ Gou relaxed. He wasn't here because of the marriage but because of what happened last night. Someone must have told him. Amakata or Goro most likely. The two had been missing for a bit, and those two would believe her brother would have a right to know about something like that. Not that she could blame them. "I'm fine, I'm fine, really. I'm not hurt. I just have a little bit of a cold-"

"What were you thinking?!" Rin's voice had risen a few octaves. "Going out into the ocean of all places! You know how dangerous that can be! Why in God's name would you be out there?"

"O-oh I was just ummm…"

Beyond her brother Seijuro and Makoto were ushering everyone out of the room. Vaguely Gou noted that somehow Nagisa had managed to get a hold of the strawberries when no one was looking. Rei hissed protests at him and Haru, with a movement that was as smooth and refined as his swimming, deftly plucked the strawberries out of Nagisa's hands and set them down.

Nagisa whined like a dog that had been denied its bone. "Haru-chan!"

"You want to win that money don't you?" Haru replied tonelessly. "You can't do that if you get sick."

Another voice sounded out in the hallway and the boy Nitori careened into the doorway much like her brother had just moments ago. "Matsuoka-sempai!"

Seijuro's raised arm blocked the rest of her view, stopping the other boy from entering. The boys and Hana stepped outside, herding Nitori along with them despite his protests, and softly closed the door behind them.

Gou took a deep breath. She was going to get quite an earful. She knew that. Whenever her brother got agitated – whether it be from anger or frustration or worry – he had to let it out, like slicing open a wound to let it bleed. Ever since they were young he had been like that. If he didn't vent or make his feelings known it would only frustrate and irritate more, and he would be unable to settle. Put simply, Rin was the type who found it almost impossible to let things go.

Gou sniffled again and held the tissue up to her nose, readying herself for the lecture that was coming.

* * *

Outside the room Seijuro leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at the pavement. Someone had told Matsuoka what had happened. Nakagawa couldn't have; Seijuro had barely told him anything and he hadn't told him it had been Gou in specific. He had just said a girl. So it couldn't be Nakagawa. Which meant it had to be someone from here.

He scrutinized the faces around him. It didn't take him long at all to settle on one. "It was you, wasn't it?"

By the way Makoto tilted his face away and avoided Seijuro's eyes, Seijuro knew instantly he was right. The other boy bit his lip but that wasn't enough to stop the smile from forming. "I just…I like fixing things I guess." He gave that chuckle of his, rubbing the back of his head. "I only told him about the boat though. Nothing else. His sister was in danger. He would want to know about something like that and being an older brother myself I can't deny him that. You can understand that, right?"

Seijuro grunted an affirmative. Makoto was right. If it had been Seijuro's sibling he would have wanted to know too. Though he wished Makoto had said something sooner. Maybe he had been worried that Seijuro would get upset if he knew that Makoto had told Matsuoka. Whatever the reason for his secrecy it was fine. So long as he hadn't said anything else, and Seijuro trusted him on that front. Makoto wasn't the type to lie and he wasn't the type to divulge that sort of information to Rin without consulting Gou first.

Nitori, who had heard the conversation, looked between the two of them confusedly. "Captain?"

"Never mind, Nitori." Seijuro tilted his head towards the shorter boy. He gave him a sharp look that caused him to stiffen, knowing he was in trouble. "Now let's talk about why you aren't at practice."

"Eeee!"

* * *

To say Rin was upset was a little bit of an understatement. Even after hearing Gou's explanation as to why she and Hana had been caught out in the ocean in the middle of the night, and subsequently caught in the storm, he was unhappy. He scolded her for sometime about the dangers of the ocean, which she listened to with a grimace and a bit of cringing. She knew he was only doing it because he cared. If he didn't care then he wouldn't have shown up here like he did, though she was still unsure how he had found out. Seeing that, just like Seijuro's text messages, was nice. Especially after Rin had dismissed her presence so often since his return from Australia.

She flexed her hand on top of her thigh. He had held her hand. Just like he used to when they were younger. Like that time when they walked behind that procession. Back when they had both lost something precious to the ocean. She couldn't blame him for being angry. She would have likely reacted the same way if their positions had been switched.

_Well I might not have yelled so much._

He blew air through his teeth, finally running out of steam, and sat down heavily on the bed. "You know how dangerous the ocean can be. Even if you are only going out for a short time and are being careful bad things can happen. The ocean is a place of last resorts. You should know that."

It was funny for him to say that. The ocean had been the last resort for Iwatobi to get some swimming in for their week long break. Maybe he was correct.

"Even when you feel like you're totally safe you're not when it comes to the ocean." He shook his head. "I've almost lost two people to it now. It's enough to make a guy want to move inland for God's sake."

"Sorry," she said. "I mean we didn't do it on purpose. The motor broke on us. If it weren't for that we could have been back before the storm ever hit."

He let out another sigh. "Well, it's fine. You're got back alright and you weren't hurt." He gave her a disgusted look. "I mean besides becoming an incubus of viral plague anyway."

Gou's jaw dropped. "T-that was mean! It's bad enough everyone's been referring to me as 'diseased'. I didn't get sick on purpose you know! Jeez!"

The corner of his mouth twitched. _The beginnings of a smile?_ But if it was it quickly stopped there. He motioned to her hand on the blanket. "Nice ring. I just noticed that. Where'd that come from?"

The pearl ring. She raised her right hand to look at it. Since purchasing it she had never taken it off, not even when she had gone out on the boat with Hana. She had been meaning to tell her brother about it before, but had forgotten with everything else that had happened. Now he had noticed it completely on his own. "I bought it. It's for Mom."

Rin's expression changed. Any sign of mirth or happiness that had been present quickly vanished. He looked away from her to the wall. "I'm sure she'll like it."

Gou blinked in surprise. The words were stiff. Had hearing about the ring upset him? If it had reminded him of their father, which it likely had, then it might have.

He rose from the bed. "Do you need anything?"

Gou blinked. "N-no. Amakata and the others have been helping with anything I need."

"Good. Don't let those boys over work you. Stay in bed and get better."

"It's just a cold," she protested.

Wrong thing to say. He turned back towards her, eyes flashing, and leaned forward. He punctuated each word with a poke of his finger. " _Stay in bed_."

Huffing, Gou settled back. "Alright, alright, I promise. I won't do anything until I feel better."

"Good." Rin straightened. "Don't let Haru feed you any mackerel either. I know how he is. Idiot thinks he's literally a dolphin or something. He thinks he can survive on just fish alone."

_And pizza._ Gou laughed a little but didn't dare mention what she had eaten last night or how their entire menu was nothing but mackerel and pizza. Rin would throw a fit.

He headed towards the door with a wave. "Stay in bed."

"Yes, sir." She moved to get under the blanket. She felt better already.

* * *

When the door opened any conversation that had been going on instantly died. Everyone was silent, staring at Matsuoka, waiting to see what he would do.

The only one who did speak was Nitori, letting out a small, hesitant, "Sempai?"

Matsuoka barely acknowledged the younger boy's presence. His carmine gaze slid over those that were, passing over the Iwatobi boys, even Haru, without pause, only coming to rest once he came upon Seijuro. He approached him and Seijuro stiffened slightly. He hadn't anticipated this and wasn't certain what Matsuoka's intent was. The other boy's face was lowered and his eyes were shadowed by his bangs. Seijuro was unable to read his expression and consequently his objective. _Could he have found out about the marriage?_

Seijuro arms tightened over his chest. He tried his best to not let his apprehension show. If Matsuoka sensed that it would be like letting blood in the water. Matsuoka would only feed on it.

The red head stopped merely a few inches from him. His eyes were still hidden and his expression unreadable, providing no clue at all as to what he was about to do. "Captain."

The word was spoken tonelessly. Was Matsuoka addressing him or something else? Seijuro straightened, preparing for the strike to come, but Matsuoka only continued.

"Were you the one who saved Gou?"

_Oh…_ Was that what he was after? Seijuro blinked. "Yes," he said a little hesitantly.

Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, Matsuoka bowed to him deeply. "Thank you."

Nagisa and Makoto's jaws dropped. Even Haru showed subtle signs of shock in his eyes. And Nitori. Nitori whimpered in a trembling voice, "Sempai." Tears were forming in the corner of his eyes.

Seijuro's gaze flickered away. He tried to ignore the troubled feeling that fluttered at his conscience like a black winged moth. That troubled feeling involving everything that he was hiding from Matsuoka. One of his own swim team members. A swim team member he was supposed to guide and be responsible for. And all that he was concealing involving one of the few precious people in this world Matsuoka cared about.

_Hypocrite._

"Yeah," he said. The word felt thick in his mouth.

Matsuoka straightened. He turned away. "Let's go, Nitori." He passed by the Iwatobi boys with only a sidelong glance at Haru, not acknowledging the others three's presence in the slightest.

Nitori followed him, swiping at his eyes with his forearm. "Sempai," he wailed.

"What the heck are you crying for?" Matsuoka spoke over his shoulder as they descended the stairs. "I told you to stay at practice."

For some reason that only made Nitori cry all the harder. "Sempai!"

Seijuro watched the two go. That feeling of wrongdoing still flared in his chest like a flickering coal. He leaned away.

_There's nothing to be done about it_. Not only had Gou asked him not to tell her brother but more so than that Seijuro's desire to keep Matsuoka in the dark outweighed any feelings of guilt he possessed. Because if Matsuoka found out he might try to get between Gou and him. He might try and stop them, and whatever might be forming between them. And Seijuro wasn't about to let that happen.

He's always been a bit selfish.

* * *

 _Back into the swing of things._ Gou sniffled as she leaned back into the warm water, sighing as it encased her in a soothing heat. Despite feeling much better and being mostly over her cold she still had a lingering cough and sniffle. Hopefully the hot springs would cure that.

The hot springs. That was their hosted trip for the day. As a treat the teachers had been invited to come. Goro hadn't been interested but Amakata surely had been. And Hana. The young girl had a free day so had come along as well, which Gou was glad for. Having the two other females there made it so she wouldn't be by herself in the hot springs. It was likely the reason why the hosts had invited them along in the first place. The female host must have been sympathetic towards Gou's situation of being the only female between the two swim teams.

Upon arrival they had spent the first hour and a half getting massages, taking a mud bath, and getting facials done. Amakata had insisted on it. "As Mark Twain once said," said the teacher. "'The finest clothing made is a person's own skin'."

That creeped Gou out more than it confused her. Hadn't they made a movie about a guy who liked to dress up in human skin?

She wouldn't have thought she would enjoy either activity but the massage was heavenly and the mud bath surprisingly soothing. The facial felt a little weird and unpleasant, but her skin felt surprisingly soft afterwards.

By the time they made it to the actual hot spring Gou was already starting to feel better from her sickness. Sitting naked with the hot water rushing over her was simply divine after all the aches she had experienced during her cold. Not to mention having been confined to her bed almost the rest of their entire mini vacation.

The only day she had been allowed out was the day before they left and she had spent that day with the Samezuka swim team. She had brought her camera along. Taking pictures had been her alibi but she had really been snooping on the competition. Not that Seijuro hadn't been able to figure that out right away. He had been glad to see her and had even pointed out the members that would be competing against Iwatobi. His willingness to share that information Gou could only surmise was because he had complete confidence that Samezuka would win regardless of how much research she did. Or maybe he just felt it was fair since he had seen so much of Iwatobi. If anything he had a substantially greater advantage over Gou in terms of knowing his competition and their abilities, especially considering his deeper knowledge of the sport and the times he had tutored Rei. Yes, if anything he had the advantage over them, in more ways than one.

She sank further into the water, submerging her entire self except for her nose and above. Two days they had been back. Two days that had been filled with swimming time or free days respectively. Samezuka and Iwatobi had been on opposite schedules those two days so she had seen little of Seijuro in that time. She had barely gotten to spend much time with him at all in fact. The longest they had been alone in each other's company in quite a while had been when they spent the night in that lighthouse.

It was a little weird that she was noticing something like that. In the past she would have delighted in the fact she didn't have to see him in order to save herself embarrassment, but now his absence caused something different. A strange empty feeling.

Gou shifted in the water. _It's just loneliness._ Anyone would feel that way after being in that house by themselves. Not that that explained the fact that even when she was with Iwatobi she often found herself wondering what Seijuro was doing.

And that very first day, when she had arrived back to the house…

" _Thanks for the phone." Seijuro held up the red phone as if displaying some sort of medal. That big goofy smile was on his face again. That same smile she recognized so well, the one he used to always greet her with. The one she hadn't seen since that night at the bar._

_For some reason it embarrassed her. "Y-ou're welcome." She hoped he would think her reddening face was from her nearly nonexistent cold._

" _You didn't have to do that though," he said. "I could have easily gotten another one."_

" _Well, it was the least I could do." She found it was easier to talk to him when she didn't look at him. "You did save me."_

_When she glanced back at him his smile had changed. It had turned into something softer. Something more tender rather than happy. Yet seeing that only made her heartbeat speed up all the more._

_Just like now._ She ducked her head under the water and stayed there until her lungs felt like they were going to burst. Getting flustered over something that minute was silly. She had simply bought the phone for him because his had gotten destroyed while rescuing her. That was all. Considering he had saved her life it was the least she could do.

_And besides he does rely on it quite a bit for communication._ With his swim team members. And her when they weren't at the house together.

She rose from the water gasping and coughing a bit. Holding her breath while she was still coughing had not been a good idea.

"Do you need to get out, Gou-chan?" Amakata perched on the edge of the hot spring like some sort of perfectly carved water nymph. While she refused to wear a swimsuit for whatever reason she was okay with going naked. "Do you feel light headed?"

"I'm fine, sorry." Faintly Gou was glad Hana wasn't paying attention. The other girl was leaning back in the water with her eyes closed. _Maybe she's asleep._

It was Makoto who had done it. That dope. She had asked him to go get the phone for her and as a consequence he had been the one to give it to Seijuro. He must have told Seijuro it was from her. Well, she hadn't explicitly told him not to tell Seijuro that. Truthfully she hadn't thought about it at the time. Oh well, there was nothing to be done about it.

"This feels so nice. I haven't been to a hot spring in forever." Amakata settled into the water, hair perfectly pinned up to keep it dry. "It was very nice of the hosts to allow teachers to come. I'm sure they understand we need relaxation as much as the students."

"It is nice. I'm glad they let me come too." Hana stretched her arms over her head. "It's definitely better to be relaxing in water than getting tossed around by it."

"Mmmm yes." Amakata shuddered. "What happened was very dreadful. Not even the authorities would go out into the bay until the weather died down. We are very lucky that you two came out of it unscathed."

"We are very lucky," Gou agreed. "I don't think I'm going to take anymore ocean adventures anytime soon. Well, besides sunbathing maybe but I'll stay on the beach for that."

"But that's so bad for your skin, Gou-chan." Amakata protested. "You mustn't do that or you'll get wrinkles."

Hana made that face of hers when she had no idea what the teacher was saying. Gou was used to Amakata but not so for Hana. It was actually a little amusing watching a stranger's reaction to Amakata's sometimes strange phrases.

"It was a good thing they came to rescue us," said Hana, resuming their conversation before Amakata had gone off in her own direction. "If it weren't for Sasabe-san and Gou's boyfriend we might not have made it."

_That_ wasn't so amusing. Gou stiffened. "He isn't my boyfriend."

"Sorry, I mean husband."

_That isn't any better!_

"You two do seem to be getting awfully close," Amakata mused thoughtfully. "You've even been calling him by his first name now haven't you? Did something happen between the two of you?"

_You're supposed to be the adult here,_ Gou wanted to shout at her. _Don't ask things like that!_

Hana leaned forward. "Don't tell me that you two…that night at the lighthouse…"

Gou's face reddened. "Absolutely not!"

"Did you…did you kiss?!"

"No!

Hana sat back in disappointment. "That's too bad. This time it would have been a kiss you could remember."

"Don't bring that up!" But it was too late.

Amakata tilted her head. "A kiss she could remember?"

"Gou can't remember her first kiss."

Amakata gasped like she had just remembered how to breathe again. "G-gou-chan! You don't remember your first kiss?!"

"She was too drunk to remember."

Amakata gasped again. "Is this true, Gou-chan?"

Gou sighed. "Yes, it is true. I really can't remember anything."

Amakatas lip trembled, like she was about to cry. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Gou-chan. To think such an important milestone of your life happened and you can't even remember it. How terrible for you!"

"Yes, I realize that! I know it's terrible!" Gou covered her face with her hands."It's terrible that I don't remember my first kiss!"

_At least Seijuro doesn't remember either._ It would only make her feel worse if he was able to remember and she couldn't. Then again… _had_ it even been his first kiss like it had been for her? They had talked about them kissing but she had never thought to ask him if he had kissed other girls. She lowered her hands slightly. For some reason she kind of didn't want to know if he had. Thinking about him kissing other girls…she really didn't like picturing that.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty more kisses," said Amakata. Was she trying to be encouraging? "Don't let the fact you can't remember your first get you down."

Gou's eyebrows lowered. _Thanks a lot._

"I remember my first kiss," the teacher continued dreamily. "I was seventeen at the time. Not that I am implying that it was that long ago or anything." She chuckled uncomfortably.

_You're not fooling anyone._

Amakata's hands clapped to her cheeks. She kicked her feet vigorously. "Oh, it was so perfect! Granted our noses bumped together and we hit each other's teeth. But it was so romantic regardless! There's nothing like a first kiss! Taking that first step into romance! There's nothing else like it!"

"That's what I was saying!" put in Hana. "I hope my first kiss is perfect! I bet it will be the best! I'll treasure it forever! I bet it will be magical and wonderful!"

The two immediately began talking excitedly about first kisses and how great they were or would be. Gou glared at them a moment then she sank into the water until her ears were covered, not really wanting to listen to them.

She blew bubbles into the water. _I really hate my life sometimes._

* * *

It was a few hours later when they departed back for their lodgings. Gou and Amakata got on the bus before the boys did; not a surprise considering the number of boys compared to just the two of them. The boys were loud and enthusiastic. The bus shook with their trampling feet and one of them even began hopping over the seats, eliciting a yell of protest from Seijuro.

"Gou!" He sat down next to her. He smiled at her. That smile that encompassed his entire face and made it light up. He was so happy to see her but she only found herself becoming annoyed. "Did you have fun today?"

Gou crossed her arms more tightly over her chest. "Tons," she muttered.

His smile faltered and then faded. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

She could sense his hesitation. She wouldn't look his way and after a moment he said, "Alright." He turned his attention to Makoto and the other Iwatobi boys and they were soon laughing and chatting gleefully.

Gou ground her teeth. Their laughter and the good time they were having only annoyed her further. She knew it wasn't their fault and she shouldn't fault them for having fun, but she couldn't help it. She was bothered. Ever since her conversation with Hana and Amakata she hadn't been able to think of anything else but that first kiss. That first kiss she couldn't remember. The fact she couldn't remember was really agitating her. _Had_ agitated her. She hated it. That first kiss was something that, unlike her accidental marriage, she would not be able to correct later on. At least not in any way she could think of. And that was what was getting her. Not being able to remember such a monumental event in her young teen life was really bothersome.

The bus ride was short and once they were dropped off at the mutual bus stop Gou went with Iwatobi to the lodges. Part of it was to deter her brother's suspicions but also so Gou could cool her hot head. Being snappy to Seijuro because she was agitated wasn't fair and she wanted sometime away from him to sort out her feelings.

Not being able to remember her first kiss was not Seijuro's fault. But maybe the fact that he had never seemed bothered about it, didn't care about it in the least, was what was really irritating her too.

* * *

It was relatively late in the evening when she finally departed the Iwatobi lodges. She had stayed for dinner, wanting to make sure the boys were following the old food regiment now that they were back and had more options than pizza and mackerel. A week of eating that nonsense. It would surely have been bad for them physically. _I'll have to make them run laps later on to make up for it._

That was one thing she should look into. An exercise regimen. If they weren't going to be able to practice in the pool a great deal they would need to find some other way to improve themselves and keep their bodies fit. Eating better was one thing but they needed exercise too. _Maybe I'll ask Seijuro about that._

Since being at the Iwatobi lodges Gou had calmed down a bit. Distracting herself with their antics had helped to ease her irritability. She didn't have an answer for her problem but she didn't think such an answer existed. When it came to things like this there simply was no way to fix them, unless you had a time machine. _If only those had been invented yet._

Makoto had tried asking her what had been bothering her, like she knew he would. Out of the Iwatobi boys he at least would have noticed. She had passed it off as nothing. As much as she trusted and adored him talking about kissing with another boy was just way too embarrassing. There were just some subjects that should not be breached, and on top of which it felt like indulging way too much information telling him something like that.

He hadn't looked convinced but thankfully he had let it go and hadn't pestered her about it the rest of the time. He must have figured if it were something significant she would talk about it when she was ready.

She thought about texting Seijuro while on her way to the house but decided against it. She had a key now. She didn't need to tell him she was on her way. He hadn't sent her anything while she had been with Iwatobi either. Giving her space or he was busy with his swim team. Either was possible.

The lights were on inside the house as she started up the walkway. So he was home. _Must be option one._ Then again…what if some of his swim team had come to his place? No, he would have texted her in that case. Actually, now that she thought about it, besides her brother unexpectedly showing up that one time none of his swim team members had been over to his place since she had moved in. Had he been doing that on purpose? He must be. Their marriage was his secret too after all. Or maybe he simply preferred meeting them elsewhere so they wouldn't trash his place.

She opened the door. "I'm back."

"Yo." Seijuro emerged from the hallway. He must have just gotten done taking a shower. His hair was wet and slicked back, and he dabbed at it with a towel.

_I have the worst timing._ At least he was wearing a shirt. Not that it had any sleeves of course…

"You just get back from Iwatobi?"

She nodded. "I wanted to make sure they were back on the food regime than eating nasty stuff again."

"I see." He wasn't smiling. In fact he looked downright bothered. He had that stern look on his face that he used with his swim team when he wanted them to listen. His captain's face. A moment later she found out why. "You seemed upset earlier. Did something happen at the hot spring?"

"O-oh." _That._ "N-nothing much really." She picked up her large pack and moved towards the bedroom to unpack at. She passed close by him and he turned to follow her movements. "I was just thinking about something."

"Thinking about something?"

Damn, he was following her. He tossed aside the towel and moved with her. _He must really want to know._

Gou set the bag down on the corner of the bed. "Y-yes. It was nothing really."

Seijuro stopped in the doorway. One arm he leaned against the frame near his head and the other came to rest on his hip. "You got that upset over nothing?" He raised one sharp eyebrow.

_He isn't going to let this go._ Strange. Before the incident at the lighthouse Gou could never have imagined him pressing her this much for an answer. Did it bother him that much that she had been upset earlier?

It was cute in a way but she wasn't sure whether she wanted to have this conversation at not. Then again what better time was there? She fiddled with her hands. "Do you…you don't remember anything, right? Anything about that night?"

He blinked, a bit confused by the topic, but she didn't need to tell him what night she was referring to. "Not really. I only really remember the bar. Why?"

"It's…It's just that I…" She closed her eyes. She forced the next words out. "I can't remember if we kissed or not."

The sound he made she was not expecting and she opened her eyes. She couldn't believe it. He was…he was laughing a little!

"This again?" His eyes were practically dancing in amusement. "You're still hung up on that?"

_Of all the…_ She fisted her hands. "Yes, of course! You have no idea what it's like! I can't remember anything of my first kiss! At all! My first kiss and I don't even remember having it! I don't like it! What kind of person has a first kiss they can't remember?" Her cheeks burned at the admission but she was too annoyed to stop.

Seijuro raised an eyebrow. This time it was more in silent surprise than inquiry. "Is it really that important?"

_Oh my god._ "Of course it's important!" She fought the urge to stamp her foot. "How could you think it's not important?!"

He shrugged a shoulder. "I guess I just never really thought about it."

Gou smoldered. Just as she had thought earlier. It didn't bother him that he couldn't remember like it did her. So stupid. Boys were so stupid. Why were boys so stupid?

"So…you're upset because you can't remember if we kissed or not?" He rubbed his chin as if he was coming up with an idea. For some strange reason it looked like he was grinning a little too. Or was it a smirk?

Gou narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

He stood there a moment longer. Then he dropped his arms and straightened, as if coming to a decision. "Okay. I understand the situation."

"You understand the situation?" Gou's temper flared. "What do you mean you understand the situation?! What is that supposed to mean?!"

"This is about your first kiss, isn't it?"

"Yes. So what? Why are you asking th-"

He crossed the short distance between them with a single step. His hand cupped her chin and he tilted her face up, making her cut her words abruptly off. He leaned down. And then his lips were on her own.

Gou's entire body froze. Her brain became a complete white sheet of blank shock. She didn't know how to react, couldn't react. There was no bumping of noses or clacking of teeth like Amakata had described. Just smooth lips against her own, warm and soft. Along her chin she could feel the gentle pressure of his fingers. His eyes were closed and his soft breath fanned against her cheek.

He was so close. _He smells like sun and wind._

Her heart, which had felt like had stopped the moment he pressed his mouth to hers, suddenly became something she was acutely aware of. It sped up into a dizzying tempo. Her stomach roiled, a thousand butterflies aching for release. A flush of heat raced from the top of her head to her chest, so hot and heavy it almost made her choke.

Her whole being became focused on the sensation of his flesh against hers. A touch so intimate she had never experienced with anyone. Something precious and sacred.

In that moment she felt more utterly alive than she ever had in her entire life but at the same time she felt a bit like dying.

Then Seijuro pulled away. His fingers fell away from Gou's chin. He straightened. "Now," his voice was a little heavier than normal, "whenever you think of your first kiss you'll think of that."

He turned and walked away before Gou could react, leaving her standing there almost as if in a daze in the bedroom with her bag spilling its contents onto the floor.

He hadn't been lying. From that day onward whenever Gou thought about her first kiss, all she could think about was that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm running away now, bye.
> 
> (But in all seriousness thank you to everyone who has commented, bookmarked, and left kudos. Thank you for all the support! Also my apologies in how long it takes me to respond back to anything!)


	14. Initiate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for how long this chapter took, especially considering what happened last chapter. I've been job hunting a bit so all my motivation has been pretty much going to that (I still have my normal job so no worries there - I even got a raise! - but I am trying to find a better job and get out of this tiny, tiny town I have been stuck in for the last three years) and I had a horrible, horrible case of writers block with this chapter. I also upgraded to Windows 8.1 recently and have been experiencing a myriad of visual problems with it. They should be fixed by me putting a band aid on a gushing would but we'll see. It's windows for crying out loud.
> 
> For anyone who didn't know yet Free! also got approved for a second season!

_Green, green. We are in a sea of green._

Against the glare of the sun Gou shielded her eyes. All around her it was green. Green, green, green. A bastion of green and brown. Rows upon rows of green for miles. It was quite an impressive sight. Wooden poles were staked into the ground next to them and running up and down each pole were vines upon vines. Vines of grapes. Vines of grapes waiting to be picked and turned into wine. A wine vineyard.

This was their designated trip for the day, the event the hosts of the country had planned for them. Gou had been a little surprised that such a country had such a thing as wine making but here it was. For the time being it was only sold in country but they were looking to expand their sales to other countries as well. It was no surprise the winery would be one of their events then. It was a good way for the host country to show them something interesting but also advertise their industry. _They really are taking advantage of this economically just like Rei said._

She turned in a circle to take it all in. The height of the vines weren't that tall, coming up to a little above her waist. As such she could see over them and the many, many rows that continued on for a large distance. Around her roamed the members of the two swim teams. They were spread out but still close enough they could see each other and still hear the host slightly ahead of them. Close by her with the Iwatobi boys. For the most part they were being quiet and behaving themselves. Makoto, well, he was always dependable, and since there were no immediate vicinities of water around Haru wasn't performing any strip teases and seemed content to follow sedately behind Makoto without uttering a peep. Rei kept rattling off random facts about grapes and wine making that would likely put their host's knowledge to shame if she heard him. "Grape vine cultivation and winemaking dates back seven thousand years ago," he was saying. He leaned down to look at a cluster of young green grapes. "The oldest known winery was discovered in Armenia and dated back to 4100 BC." Before anyone could stop him he plucked one of the berries and began chewing.

"Rei!" Makoto looked around himself as if checking for cops, although it was likely he was rather looking if the host had seen them. "That's stealing!" he whispered.

"Bitter." Rei made a face. "And it's not stealing, it's sampling." He held up his index finger. "It's only proper to test the grapes before sampling the wine. If you don't find the source material impressive then why should the end product be?"

"I highly doubt the wine is going to taste anything like the grape you're eating plain," Gou grumbled. "How many wines have you tasted in the past anyway?"

"None," answered Rei. "But that is why it is imperative to be properly prepared!"

Haru seemed to take Rei's advice to heart. He plucked a grape and popped it into his mouth.

"Haru!" Makoto was beside himself.

"Bitter." Haru spat it out.

"Don't spit it out after you've stolen it!" Makoto's hands clutched the top of his head. "Pick it up! You're leaving behind evidence!"

"Too much effort."

"It's fine, Mako-chan," said Nagisa. "It will provide nutrients for the other plants so in a way Haru-chan is fertilizing! The winery should be thanking him. Right, Rei-chan?"

"Oh, uh, of course," said Rei completely unconvincingly.

Nagisa kicked at a leaf. Despite being the sort of person who normally always managed to find a way to entertain himself no matter the circumstances he seemed to be having a hard time now. A moment later he voiced why. "We need to get to the wine tasting already."

Oh yes, the wine tasting. That was the last thing they would be doing on their trip and partly the reason for Gou's bother. Announcing the tasting this morning…Gou could still remember the look on Amakata's face. "W-well." Sweat had already begun forming on the teacher's forehead and her smile was more pained than anything. "Let's just not make the same sort of mistakes twice, shall we?" She had laughed uncomfortably but no one had laughed with her.

"You can't get married twice," Rei had muttered under his breath, which earned him a slight ribbing from Nagisa and a disapproving look from Makoto. Goro had been grinding his teeth too.

Gou had become the delinquent of the group. The one who made bad decisions without thinking first and got herself in trouble. _It's not like I make bad decisions all the time!_ She had just had one…little mishap. Yes, that was it. Well, catastrophic was more like it. She sighed heavily.

_Speaking of which…_ She looked over the tops of the vines on their stakes. A few rows away Seijuro was with several of his swim team members. They were talking and looking about themselves, not paying any attention to her or the Iwatobi boys in the slightest. Since arriving to the winery Seijuro and her had kept to their own swim teams and had not so much as acknowledged each other's existence since departing the bus. Gou couldn't say it was unusual from normal. On the contrary it would have looked odd for them to be around each so much in these circumstances. Besides the events where they forced to be close together because they had gotten paired together it was best for them to stay apart and that's what they had been doing. Rin was not too far away in full view of them after all. It was wise for them to stay by their own swim teams and away from each other.

Not that that stopped Gou's mind from wandering. Last night. He had _kissed_ her last night. Even now her brain was still having a hard time processing it. She remembered everything – oh how she remembered everything – but she was having a hard time believing it had actually happened. It had been so sudden, so unplanned. He had caught her completely and utterly by surprise.

What had his purpose been behind kissing her? Had he simply done it because he was sick of listening to her whine about not remembering her first kiss?

Lost in her thoughts her hand had subconsciously moved to touch her lips. Realizing it, she yanked the appendage quickly away. _What the heck was that about?_ Thankfully the boys were too busy with each other to notice her reddening face.

"We're not here to get drunk, Nagisa." Makoto was saying. "We're here to learn about wineries and appreciate this…wonderful country." Those last few words sounded incredibly forced.

"Wineries make wine," said Nagisa as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He blinked guilelessly. "Do they do something else besides that?"

Makoto sighed. "You're missing the point."

"Wine making is an art, Nagisa!" Rei pushed his glasses further up with a flourish. "It is a skill dating back for centuries, a piece of mankind's cultural heritage. Back in old days it was considered a delicacy of the rich and a mark of a person's social status. If one did not have wine one was considered a bore…"

_I wonder if he makes some of this stuff up,_ thought Gou as Rei prattled on. For all they knew he did. None of them knew enough to challenge his words and he delivered them with such acumen that it made them sound utterly believable.

"I want to try the wines as well," Haru voiced his opinion. Makoto sighed once more and seemed to give up on persuading them that they were there to actually learn rather than drink.

_Lunatics._ Those two drunkards should have been the ones to make the mistake of getting married while drunk, not her, the responsible one. Actually…it would have been pretty hilarious to see Nagisa and Haru accidentally married to each other. After a week Haru would have likely _swam_ back to Japan to get a divorce, not to mention Makoto and Rei would have absolutely _died_ at the news.

_Maybe that's why they find my predicament so amusing._ Because it wasn't happening to them. Jerks.

The host called out to them, indicating they were leaving the vineyards and going into the winery itself. It was a large brick building, the winery, and looked more like an old time European inn than anything else. And inside. Inside there were wine bottles. Wine bottles everywhere. Lined against the wall on shelves, in round display cases placed about the open floor, in tubs and in barrels and in everything. The light glinted off their curved glass surfaces like the blinking of a million wild animal eyes in firelight. Further down was a large square bar. Nagisa grabbed Rei's arm. He pointed to the bar. "That's where the wine tasting is going to be, Rei-chan!"

"Yes, yes, I see it." Rei placed his hand atop the shorter boy in an effort to stop his bouncing.

Nagisa wasn't the only one excited. The Samezuka members were chattering away in enthusiastic whispers as well and one of them even started gravitating towards the bar like it was pulling him in before someone else snagged him.

"I can't believe they're letting us drink for free!" one exclaimed.

The turning of Seijuro's head was slow but unmistakable. The glare he fixed on the one who had said that was not missed and the other flinched down as if caught sneaking candy before dinner. "I mean, good thing we're learning so much from this country!" His voice echoed off the stones walls. "The wisdom we have gained will surely help us reflect favorably once we have returned home!"

"Keep your voice down, Noro."

_They're as bad as we are._ Despite acting like a military unit the majority of the time the Samazuka swim team still had their share of quirky individuals apparently.

The host lead them down into the basement. "This is where they store the barrels of wine that are going through their second fermenting and are aging!" She gestured to the multitude of barrels that were stacked all in rows across the entire basement. "The aging will take anywhere from three to six months! In that time proteins from the grapes will be broken down and the remaining yeast cells and other fine particles are allowed to settle! The wine must be kept under airlock to protect the wine from oxidation! The oak from the barrels even influences the flavor of the wine!"

Gou felt a bit like she was back in chemistry class. She had never liked that subject and understood even less of what the host was saying. She doubted anyone really cared how it was made anyway, except maybe Rei. Everyone else was more interested in just drinking it.

Despite it being a basement it was quite bright and almost pleasant looking with tan stony walls and the brown of the barrels blending along with it. It was large too, nearly the same size as the floor above them. The rows of barrels divided up the room and the swim team members branched off down different rows.

Nagisa leaned in close to one of the barrels big enough he could have climbed on top of it like it were a pony. "Maybe we can find something to tap this with," he whispered.

"These haven't fermented yet!" Rei protested.

"They still have alcohol in them, don't they?"

"That's beside the point!" Rei paused. "How do you even know about tapping anyway?"

Nagisa gave him a smile that was way too innocent.

Honestly it wouldn't have surprised Gou if some of the Samezuka swim members were thinking along the same line as Nagisa further down the rows. In a minute or two a stream of wine may come leaching towards them or a wave if the boys tapped a little too hard.

"Has this one fermented yet, Rei-chan?"

"How should I know? I can't read that language!"

"None of these have fermented. That's why they're down here in the basement," pointed out Haru. Not that that stopped Nagisa from asking continuously if they had, like a kid on a car trip asking if they were there yet over and over.

"We're going to be doing the wine tasting soon anyway," Gou reminded them. "Just wait till then."

"Do you think they'll let us buy a barrel to bring back with us?" asked Nagisa.

"I doubt it," muttered Rei and Gou hoped that was true. If they were allowed to buy barrels then both of the buses would end up being full of nothing but barrels of wine.

They spread out after a bit and Gou wandered off down a row by herself so she could look at the barrels and their descriptions more closely without distraction. She was unable to read any sort of labels or names as they were in the local language but that didn't stop her from trying. Some of them had strange hand drawn signs on them that must indicate some sort of fruit or something. _Christmas melon maybe?_

A movement from the entrance of the row she stood in caught her attention and she looked up. She stiffened. Seijuro. He wasn't smiling as he came towards her. His face was a smooth plate, that expressionless captain visage. It was a sharp contrast to the huge goofy smile he had been greeting her with the past few days. Could it be that he was tense too?

He stopped a few feet from her. "Hey."

She returned the greeting in a tone that was a little too measured. "Hey."

She couldn't say that she was exactly nervous or embarrassed. It wasn't like it had been right after their accidental marriage. This feeling was different, something that was almost wary. She didn't know what to expect from him and that unpredictability made her tense.

But he didn't try anything. He didn't even come any closer to her. Instead he began talking. "I forgot to ask you before." He reached into his pocket. He withdrew his phone. The phone she had gotten him. A phone that she had told Makoto explicitly to make sure it was red. Red because it was the same color as his hair. Red because she couldn't imagine him having a phone any other color. He flipped it open. "I need the Iwatobi boys' numbers."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"The swim teams' numbers." He looked at her as if not understanding why she would be confused by that. "Rei and Nagisa and Nanase-kun. I have Tachibana's already. I got that when he gave me the phone."

"But why…why would you want theirs?"

"Just in case. If for whatever reason I can't get in touch with you I'll have them as a backup. In case of emergencies."

He was referring to the boat incident. That made sense. When he had been unable to establish any sort of contact with her he must have realized he had no one else to call to check up with. Before then it had likely never even crossed his mind to get the boys numbers when he could so easily just communicate via Gou. Giving him their numbers have never crossed her mind either. But it was a good idea to do.

"O-okay." She pulled out her own phone. "Let me know when you're ready."

He stepped closer to her in order to see her phone. She stiffened again, heart speeding up, but did not back away. "Alright, Haru's is…" She read out the numbers to him, pausing in between each one to make sure he got it down. "I'll give them your number when we get back," she said once he had finished punching them all in. "I mean so long as you're okay with that."

"Of course." He snapped the phone closed. "They should have my number as well."

"Even Nagisa?" Gou raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay with him having your number too?"

"Why? Does he plan to text Sei-chan to me all the time?"

She laughed a little. "He might. Hopefully he won't get you and Rei confused by that."

"I hope so too. I really don't want to receive the texts he's sending him."

She laughed again. She felt substantially more relaxed. He was keeping his distance and wasn't trying anything strange. "Well, I'll give them your number once we're out of here."

Those words sparked a thought. Why hadn't Seijuro waited until they were back at the house to ask her for the numbers? Or for that matter why hadn't he just asked the boys directly instead of coming to her? It wasn't like they weren't close enough now for it to be unusual for Seijuro to ask for such a thing. But instead he had come to her for it. _How odd._

The host began calling out and at the entrance of the row they were on passed several swim members. Seijuro turned. "Sounds like it's time for the wine tasting."

_Oh, boy._ She grimaced. She wasn't looking forward to this.

They made their way upstairs. Several of the more exuberant swim members were already racing over to take a seat at the bar but the host intercepted them before they were able to reach it. "Now, now." Her smile was strained. "I know you're excited but to keep things more organized we are going to use the assigned seats we use on the bus! Please take your seats in an orderly fashion!"

That was like telling a two year old to eat their food without making a mess. Seating in their assigned places made it more chaotic then it would have been had the host let them sit freely. The unlucky boys whose assigned seats were typically in the middle of the bus were hopelessly confused as to which seat in the middle they should take along the bar. Not to mention because there were two buses the second bus swim members weren't sure where the second bus seating should start. There was quite a bit of shuffling and some bickering as the boys sat down only to have to get up again as others came over saying they were ahead of them.

And then…

Gou sat stiffly between the two boys on either side of her. Makoto was on her left. And Seijuro on her right. And across from her on the other side of the bar with a clear view of them, her brother. She closed her eyes. "I can't believe this keeps happening…"

"It'll be fine."

As usual Seijuro treated it like it wasn't a big deal. Gou fought the urge to kick him under the bar where no one could see.

The Samezuka captain reached for a small list of available wines that had been placed at the end of the bar. "What do you want to drink?"

Like she hadn't heard that from him before! Those oh so familiar words! She drew rigid like a cat that had been brought too close to water. "I don't want anything!"

"Shhh!" Both boys on either side of her hissed so unexpectedly she actually shrank down.

"Keep your voice down." Makoto's smile looked so strained and pained it would have been better if he looked upset instead. He kept himself facing forward so as not to draw anymore attention from Gou's brother than her exclamation already had. "Your brother's right there."

"I know he's right there!" Gou ground her teeth. Was that Seijuro's intention? To get her drunk and kiss her again? Or did he have something further on his mind? Gou's face heated at the thought. What if he…tried to touch her? _Oh god._ Was it hot in here? She suddenly felt way too hot. She fanned herself in an effort to cool down, pulse racing in her ears.

"It's a wine _tasting_ anyway." Rei took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt. "The intent isn't to drink so much you get drunk. You're supposed to just take a sip, not drink the whole serving they give you."

"I'll drink the whole thing!" Nagisa banged his fist on the bar top like he were about to face off against a dangerous opponent. "I'll drink Gou-kun's for her too!"

"It's Kou!"

"Some people don't understand that of course," Rei continued as if no one had interrupted him.

Makoto observed the horde of teenage boys jostling and prodding each other around the bar as they waited for the wine to be served. "This seems like a really bad idea. Giving a bunch of free alcohol to teenagers."

"This country doesn't seem to have many good ideas." Seijuro replaced the wine list. He leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed behind his head. "Let the fun begin."

* * *

If the point of the wine tasting was not to get drunk it seemed quite a few of the swimmers had not gotten the memo. Rather than sipping at the portions they were given several of them slammed back the drinks like they were shots despite rather than glasses of wine. Nagisa and Haru had followed that crowd. As soon as the portions had been set down Nagisa consumed it in ten seconds flat and then instantly demanded more. Haru had been a little more controlled, steadily drinking the glasses rather than inhaling them. Makoto had had little luck deterring him and Nagisa had been a lost cause from the get go.

Once the wine tasting was done, outside the winery Gou watched the two drunk boys and their respective caretakers. Makoto was trying rather successfully to get Haru to sit down. Anytime he managed to get Haru to take a seat, as soon as his back was turned, the dark haired teen would instantly propel himself to his feet and proceed to wander off somewhere. And Nagisa. He kept trying to disrobe. He managed to get his shirt off, eliciting a string of protests from Rei, then he took off running and giggling into the wine vineyard, swinging his shirt over his head whilst proclaiming he wanted to become one with nature and encouraging the sober Rei to join him. Rei pursued him, yelling that public nudity was a criminal offense. Gou watched a bit bemusedly as he managed to tackle the smaller boy between the rows of grape vines, the two plummeting to the earth in a cascade of leaves.

"Oh, he managed to catch him." Next to her Seijuro stood. He was just as sober as she, although he was sipping on a wine glass as he observed the antics around him. Unlike others he had taken Rei's advice and only taken a sip of each portion that was served. Gou had only been able to try a little bit before Makoto had taken the wine away from her, proclaiming "That's enough of that." For himself Makoto had taken one sip, made a face, and then hadn't touched it again.

"There goes his pants," Gou observed of the flurry of activity presently going on in the vineyard. "He managed to get those off, huh?"

"I think Rei might have taken them off on purpose."

"O-oh."

Several of the Samezuka swimmers teetered about them on drunken wobbly legs. Some of them had fallen onto the ground, caught in a bad case of incoherent giggles. One poor guy that Gou recognized as Noro was being noisily sick off in a corner; his caretaker, the boy with dark hair and a youngish looking face, standing beside him and rubbing his back comfortingly. Speaking of sick. Nitori looked a little green around the gills where he sat dazedly on the ground. As Gou watched his cheeks bulged and he leaned over, joining Noro in his puking. Rin hovered above him. He was yelling at the boy for drinking too much but was still taking care of him regardless of his many protests. And the puke.

Seijuro held out the wine glass. "Want some?"

She took it from him without hesitation. Since initially sitting down at the bar she had relaxed considerably. He was obviously not trying to get her drunk and he hadn't tried anything weird. Besides one was supposed to enjoy a glass of wine when watching a show.

She took a sip of the wine. Then again…wasn't it weird sharing a glass with him? For some strange reason it wasn't bothering her as much as it should be. _Well, I guess it isn't like we haven't swapped spit before._ Gou choked on the wine on that sudden unbidden thought.

"Are you alright?"

She hacked horribly, avoiding his gaze. "Y-yes." _Don't talk to me when I'm like this!_

It took her a few minutes but she managed to regain her breath and calm down. It wasn't like it wasn't true anyway. Sharing a glass was nothing considering she had tasted his mouth last night. This time she choked on air. _I really need to stop thinking about this._

"S-should we help them?" She gestured to their drunken comrades. Seijuro and her were supposed to be the ones in charge after all, and so far all they had done was stand around drinking and watching the others poor plight. Although their companions situation was entirely their own making.

Seijuro stretched an arm behind his head. "I suppose we should. What a mess." He moved forward and started shouting commands to his members, and Gou moved off herself to do the same.

She found Haru and Makoto around the corner of the winery. Makoto had somehow managed to get Haru to sit down and stay on an overturned bucket. Even still he was fidgety and twitchy like an over reactive toddler forced to sit in time out. Of Rei and Nagisa there was no sign.

"Where's Rei and Nagisa?"

To Gou's surprise Makoto actually started to turn a little red. "T-they're in the vineyard."

"Still? They've been in there for a while." She turned to look. "I don't see them."

"That's because they're…lying down."

"O-oh." _Well, then._ She certainly didn't want to walk in on them doing…whatever it was they were presently doing out there. _What to do?_ She raised her voice and called out. "Has anyone seen Rei and Nagisa?!"

Haru twitched on his bucket. "They're in the vineyard," he supplied helpfully.

Makoto gently shushed him.

From the vineyard a hand suddenly shot upwards. "H-here, Gou-san!" Rei's voice.

The two joined them a few moments later. Fully clothed thankfully, although rumpled and covered in leaves. Nagisa was beaming like a sloppy ball of sunshiny joy. Rei on the other hand was red and seemed to have trouble meeting anyone's gaze. "S-sorry. We were…" He searched the area around them as if seeking an answer. "Eating grapes."

Eating grapes. _Yeah right._ If they had been devouring anything out there it would be each other.

Nagisa clung to Rei's arm with a happy drooling expression. Rei looked happy but at the same time like he wanted to die.

What had they been up to out there, Gou couldn't help but wonder. Kissing? Had they even had their first kiss? By the looks on their faces they had and after experiencing her own Gou was genuinely curious what sort of circumstances it had come about. Had it been calm and collected, a calculated move that shone of Rei's intelligence? A simple smooth acceptance of something they had known would occur eventually and was inevitable? Or had it been frantic and charged with energy like Nagisa? Something that was full of need and want that had been boiling for so long until it finally ran over the edges, becoming too much for either of them to contain?

_Maybe a bit of both._

Her gaze wandered over to Makoto and Haru. Had they kissed yet? She didn't think that they had. It was funny really. The two that had known each other for so long but it was Rei and Nagisa, who had known each other for such a significantly less amount of time that had taken that step forward instead. If Haru and Makoto's time frame of knowing each other was a book then Rei and Nagisa's would be a sentence in comparison.

But maybe that's what it made it easier for them. They had less to ruin if it didn't work out. In the case of Haru and Makoto maybe they were so reluctant to take that next step because they were too terrified of ruining what they _did_ have with each other. Or maybe they were just idiots.

_I can't believe I'm thinking this much about boys kissing._ She shook her head.

"Let's get back to the buses. I think we're finally leaving."

Makoto took a deep breath. "Good." He reached for Haru, who twitched away from his hand. "Let's go, Haru."

"I want to swim," Haru declared in a voice that was much too loud.

"Yes, yes, I'll run you a bath when we get back to the house."

That seemed to appease Haru somewhat. He allowed himself to be lead away. Behind them followed Nagisa and Rei. Nagisa was still clinging to Rei's arms and Rei was doing his best impression of a tomato. Gou followed behind them.

A sentence built between them. That was it. Only a sentence. _But that doesn't make it any less significant._

* * *

Seijuro watched the bowed back at the kitchen table out of the corner of his eye. It was hurting his eyes but if he turned to look completely he felt like she would feel his gaze and be creeped out by it. So instead he kept himself to glances. Many, many glances out of the corner of his eye. _That sounds even creepier._ He closed his eyes, something akin to annoyance and frustration flickering at himself.

She had returned to the house from Iwatobi maybe about an hour ago. And shortly after returning she had collected a stack of swimming books, the ones Seijuro had been using with Rei no less, and gone off to the kitchen table by herself. Since then she had been in there hovering over the books and occasionally jotting something down in her notebook. What she was studying Seijuro had no clue. Whatever she was doing, she was completely engrossed in it and ignoring him completely. And the worst part of all was that Seijuro noticed. It was making him feel like a puppy that desperately wanted its owner attention.

But maybe there was more to it than just wanting attention. An affirmation that everything was okay.

The corner of his mouth twitched. Since this morning he had been wondering if he had been too aggressive, if he had taken too far a step forward too quickly when he had kissed her. Did he regret it? No, he didn't. But he did feel like it might be best to back off and take it slow.

While Gou wasn't avoiding him there also hadn't been any strong indications from her either that she was interested in pursuing anything, whether that be physically or emotionally. He had been pushing his luck by kissing her, initiating something completely by surprise. He knew that but the opportunity had come up, albeit in a strange way, and he had been unable to help himself. Kissing her had been pure self-indulgence on his part. It was his nature to go after things he wanted. So he had gone for it. He's always been a bit selfish.

_But now what am I supposed to do?_ He didn't know what signs to look for that would indicate she would be receptive to him initiating anything else honestly. Seijuro was perfectly okay with initiating – _absolutely –_ but he didn't want to push too hard either. If he did she would back off again and Seijuro would only shoot himself in his own foot once more.

Was the fact that she wasn't treating him like some demon infested alien with the plague after he had kissed her a good sign? Or was she just being polite? Maybe the fact she hadn't slapped him after he had kissed her was a favorable indication?

Seijuro sank into the couch. _Maybe I really am bad just bad with girls._

From the kitchen Gou let out a curse and Seijuro's gaze flickered back over to her. "Something wrong?"

Her head jerked up at his voice. Had she forgotten he was there? She looked over her shoulder at him. "It's these books." She held one of them up. "I can't find the information I'm looking for in any of them. They're all so…so technical."

He couldn't help but smile a little. They were Rei's books after all. He doubted the guy owned _anything_ that was easy to read. He rose from the couch and approached her. "What are you trying to find?"

"An exercise regime."

"An exercise regime?" He peered over her shoulder at the book she was currently looking at.

She nodded. "We have limited access to the pool so I'm trying to find other ways that we can improve. All this downtime is likely to have some sort of negative impact. I want to try and make up for that in whatever way possible."

Truthfully Seijuro was a little impressed. Even he hadn't thought of something like that. Gou certainly took her position as manager of the swim team seriously despite them being such a small club with no accomplishments.

She made a valid point too. Regardless if Seijuro made as much use out of the pool time they were allotted it wouldn't change the fact they were hardly getting any swimming time in presently. Supposedly that would change as they got closer to the competition and they would be given more pool time, but finding other ways to improve presently was smart. There was the ocean but he wasn't about to suggest that. Not after what had happened. Even he was reluctant to use the ocean as a means to train.

"What did you have in mind?"

She leaned back in her chair, arms hanging limply by her sides. "Anything so long as it doesn't require a lot of equipment. We can't afford something like that. Unfortunately none of these books really give good strategies on how to improve on dryland. There's no sort of training like that in them at all."

"Training huh…" His eyes narrowed. _Train…train._ What could they do to train? Maybe some sort of training camp…

His eyes widened at the thought. A training camp! What a perfect idea! How fun would that be! It would be just like summer camp!

Gou observed his wide smile. "You just thought of something, didn't you?"

His smile only widened further and when he looked down at her the expression she wore was a strange one. She shifted in her seat, as if unsure how to place her legs.

"Yeah." His smile turned into a grin. "I did."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then rocks fell and everyone died.
> 
> Okay not really but I am running out of base material I had planned for this fic and we still have a lot of time to go so updates may be a little slower as I figure out what else I want to do to fill in the time (3 months was a horrible idea).


	15. Adoption

It was three days later when Goro presented the idea to the Iwatobi boys. Two days that had mostly involved him and Seijuro arguing, debating, compromising, patting each other on the back, and then arguing some more. Gou had been present mainly to take notes, which ended up being a series of sloppy scribbles and scratched out sentences throughout her notebook due to the two gentlemen being unable to decide on anything without changing it three times. It had been a great test on her patience as well as her ability to write as fast as they threw out ideas.

_Those two should have been the ones to get married._ Then they could argue together happily all day. _They must have skipped the honeymoon phase._ Or maybe that _was_ their honeymoon phase.

All that arguing had at least merged into a plan. Seijuro had announced it yesterday to his own team but Goro had put it off until today - the day they would be dong the training camp for heaven's sake – for some unknown reason.

But maybe having Goro be the one to present the training camp to the boys was a bad idea…

"Your forms are terrible!" Goro started off without any forewarning. "You guys have no idea what you're doing!"

Gou raised her eyes to the ceiling. _This is my failure as a manager._

The four boys seated on the floor glanced at each other. "Isn't that a little harsh?" whispered Nagisa.

"He has even hardly seen us practice yet," mumbled Rei.

"You leave me no other choice!" Goro carried on as if no one had spoken. "How do you like this?!" With a flourish he pulled off the black cloth covering the white board set up in the living room, revealing the words underneath. "Training camp!"

_He even drew sparkles around the words._ Come to think of it wasn't that Amakata's handwriting?

"A training camp?" The boys shifted on the floor. "What sort of training camp?"

"A good one!" Goro declared. He turned to the white board. He brandished a marker like it was a weapon of battle. "We'll start with plank holds then move onto side crunches and squat jumps, then follow up that with flutter kicks and lunge jumps, and some Kenpo crunches…" Furiously he wrote across the white board, filling the entire surface with blue circles and maniac lines interconnecting the circles and arrows pointing all sorts of different ways.

Rei tilted his head to the side. "I wonder if he has taken lessons from John Madden."

"This is looking really hard." Nagisa's mouth was downturned as he observed the ill written mess on the board. "How are we supposed to do all that?"

"Do you mean read everyone on that board or the actual exercises?" asked Haru.

Nagisa considered. "Both."

"I-I'm sure it will be fine." Makoto chuckled in that uncomfortable way of his. "Another training camp would do us some good considering we haven't gotten in much swim time." He frowned. "Speaking of which where'd that white board come from anyhow?"

_That_ was a good question. Even Gou was unsure how it had come to be in there. Had that been the reason why Goro had waited to announce the training camp? Because he was waiting on the whiteboard?

"Amakata got it." Goro said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He failed to notice the eyebrows that comment raised as well as he proceeded to carry on. "You boys are out of shape! It's been far too long you've been sitting around playing your video games and watching your anime cartoons and reading your porn magazines-"

Makoto choked on air.

"You mean you're actually supposed to _read_ those things?" Nagisa whispered, aghast.

Rei raised his hand to push back his glasses in an effort to hide his red face. _I bet he reads the articles._

"But no more of that!" Goro swept his hand through the air. "Today we are going to whip you boys back into shape! You aren't getting the exercise you need to be competitive, especially with the recent lack of swimming practice, but today is the day we're going to change that!" He smacked the board over the training camp words with their sparkles around them. "We'll be starting this afternoon! Prepare yourselves!" He sniffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Also we'll be training alongside Samezuka."

Gou covered her face with her notebook. One of the most important aspects and Goro had said it almost like it were an afterthought. _He might be a good coach but his public speaking is God awful._

That drew a collective "ehhh" from three of the boys. Haru's eyes just widened slightly. "We'll be training with Samezuka?!"

"You're too loud, Nagisa!" Goro admonished just as loudly. "And you bet! Training together will provide motivation! Seeing how good the competition is will reinforce how much training you need to do! Samezuka is one of the top schools! Beating them will be imperative! Observe them and learn!"

"You mean it's not because Gou-chan is married to Sei-chan that we're training with them?"

Gou's mouth dropped. "W-what?! That has nothing to do with it!"

"Oh well of course," Goro said without hesitation. "It was their idea after all. They thought it up together. Cute, isn't it?! And it would be cruel to separate newlyweds besides."

Gou's face reddened. _Did he have to say it like that?_ Her and Seijuro _had_ thought it up together but it wasn't like they were done it just to think up ventures to be around each other. They lived together for God's sake. _And that's not the stance an adult should be taking on this!_

Truthfully she had thought having the two teams train together would be more fun for them. A little harmless competition would be good and healthy for them, and provide some motivation like Goro had said. Her decision to have the two teams practice together had nothing to do with Seijuro. None whatsoever. Even if the training camp had been his idea and she had gone along with it, and despite the fact they had spent the last two days hammering out the details and coordinating everything together. Nope, it had nothing to do with him at all.

"We'll be able to train with Rin-chan again!" Nagisa exclaimed happily. "And Sei-chan too! I bet Gou-chan's happy about that!"

"That has nothing to do with it!"

"I bet Gou-chan used sexual appeal to get Sei-chan to agree to the training!"

Gou choked on air much like Makoto had. "I did not!"

"Your marriage must be going very well then," mused Rei. "From what I understand sexual appeal supposedly fades after you get married."

Gou's mouth moved but no words came out. Why? Why would Rei know something like _that_? _S_ he hadn't even told them about the kiss and Rei was spouting stuff like that. Nothing else had occurred between Seijuro and her since then – the Samezuka captain hadn't tried anything, not even when they were sitting close enough to each other on the couch that their thighs were nearly touching - but still. It didn't change the fact they had shared a very intimate moment with each other, no matter how brief it had been.

"Is that true, Rei-chan?" Nagisa's eyes were wide.

"Well, it's what I've read but I cannot speak from personal experien-"

"Let's never get married then, Rei-chan!"

"I-I wasn't referring to us!" Rei's face was utterly scarlet.

In her head Gou laughed at his embarrassment. _Karma, Rei!_ Served him right after all the comments he had made in regards to Seijuro and her. Although it was a little ironic that it was his very own partner who was doing it to him. Then again it was Nagisa. Rei should have known it was inevitable.

"Don't yell so much you two!" Goro yelled just as loudly. "Save your energy! You'll need it for practice! It's going to be a hard regime, can't you see that?" He smacked a hand against the board and its scribblings.

_Of course they can't! No one can see anything on that board!_ Gou slapped her forehead against her hands and shook her head.

"We leave in two hours!" Goro announced. "So be ready!"

"Yes, Coach!"

Goro left to head back to his own lodge and the Iwatobi boys wandered off to do their own thing. Rei and Nagisa went off to 'warm up', though if that meant warm up like stretching so they would be prepared for the training later or something a little more X rated Gou didn't know and didn't want to find out. Since the wine vineyard she honestly wasn't sure what to expect from them. They hadn't announced if they were dating or not but it seemed like they had if Nagisa's comment was anything to go by.

Makoto and Haru disappeared onto the wrap around porch. The two had been very quiet during the discussion about the training camp. For Haru that wasn't unusual but Gou would have expected Makoto to be a bit more verbal. He was the captain, no matter how unofficial that position typically was in regards to Iwatobi, and the training camp should have been something he would be fairly interested in. He had barely uttered a peep though.

It was only after she had finished up cleaning the mess Goro had made of the white board and tidied up a bit, and was about to leave that she understood why.

"Are you really okay with this?"

For a second Gou was puzzled. It was Makoto's voice, that much was unmistakable, but he was no where nearby. She looked about herself when her gaze fell on it. The window near the front door. Someone had left it open. Makoro and Haru must not have noticed or they hadn't thought to close it. She moved to shut it herself when Makoto's next words made her pause.

"I mean training with Samezuka. Rin will be there you know. Are you truly okay with that?"

_Rin?_ Her brother? Why would Makoto be asking Haru about that?

"He's been around a lot lately," was Haru's simple reply.

Gou could not see their faces through the window but she could see their torsos. They were both leaning against the railing outside, standing quite close to each other.

Makoto's shifted on his feet. "That's due to us being paired with Samezuka on the events. That's something we can't help. This is. I know the training camp isn't a bad idea and we can certainly use the exercise but…I just want to make sure you're okay with it."

There was a long pause. "It's fine." Gou nearly had to strain to hear Haru's quiet response. "It's in the past."

_In the past?_ What did that mean? But Makoto only made a soft sound. He turned and his back faced her as he looked out to the ocean. The conversation was over. At least verbally. If it carried out in that special nonverbal way of communicating that Makoto and Haru had Gou didn't know and she wasn't about to inch over in order to peek further out the window. She had eavesdropped bad enough already.

Her phone went off at the worst possible time and she nearly smacked into the wall at the sudden noise. She fumbled to get hurriedly out the door before the two boys could get a chance to look through the window at the unusual sounds.

Outside the lodge she placed a hand over her racing heart and took a couple deep breathes before she felt calm enough to check her phone. The text was from Seijuro. Asking if everything was ready on their end. Gou texted him back they were all set and would meet them down at the beach at the designated time.

She had been texting with him more lately. That was mostly due to the training camp as they exchanged ideas and discussed details, but even when she had been with Iwatobi or out with Hana and he had been with his own swim team they had been texting each other about it. The hesitation Gou had experienced before when sending him a message out of the blue had faded a bit. She felt a little more comfortable communicating with him even when she didn't absolutely need something.

Not that that meant his texts got any longer per say. His response to her answer was a simple 'Alright'. Well, at least he had graduated from sending 'K' to 'Alright'. Six more letters was an accomplishment.

Placing her phone back in her bag, Gou frowned, her mind going back to the conversation she had heard. Had something happened between Haru and her brother in the past? Something she didn't know about? If something had happened then that might explain why they acted the way they did towards each other now. Haru's coldness - a coldness bordering dangerously close to indifference - and her brother's hot spite. A sharp contrast to their past relationship when Rin would throw his arm over Haru's shoulders and Haru would feign annoyance. Haru had never smiled, not even then, but it had been clear her brother had meant something to him and vice versa. So what had happened that had ruined that?

She still didn't understand and there was no way she was going to ask Haru about it. That would not only be intrusive but Haru was not the sort of person that would appreciate something like that, especially not from her. Haru didn't dislike her, she knew that, but they weren't close either. Makoto prodding him was one thing but that only spoke volumes about their relationship. Gou couldn't intrude on the space that Makoto alone occupied in Haru's life. For now all she could do was hope that somehow, someway Iwatobi would be able to break through to her brother and return him back to his old self. And maybe by doing so Haru could be free from whatever burden he carried too.

Putting thought of Iwatobi and her brother out of her mind to focus on the present, Gou continued over to the other lodge to finish her preparations before the training camp started.

* * *

The beach was crawling with half naked boys. Half naked swimmer boys. Half naked swimmer boys with glorious muscles that rippled and glistened under a thin sheen of sweat. Row upon row of bare chests and arms and backs and _oh god_. Gou nearly dropped her notebook she had been pawing through at the sight. _So many muscles in one place! Deltoids and biceps and rhomboids! Amazing! Wonderful! Marvelous!_ She almost ran into a palm tree.

"Are you alright, Gou-san?"

"Yes, yes. I just uh…Has anyone really been so far to even decide to use…even go, uh, want to do more like?"

Rei squinted at her. "Was that even Japanese?"

Gou sniffed powerfully through her nose. _I am going to get a nose bleed._

"It's easy to tell they're from a champion school," Goro observed of the Samezuka members lounging about on the beach. "You boys have some hard competition ahead."

_You got that right,_ thought Gou but for an entirely different reason.

Seijuro was talking with that youngish looking boy when he caught sight of them and he came over to greet. Somehow he had managed to keep his shirt on. Miracle of all miracles it had sleeves too.

_Too bad._ Realizing what she had just thought, Gou quickly battered her mind in reproach and tried to think of something, _anything_ else. _Math problems, mackerel, Nagisa's speedo thing._ Oh God. Too far. _Maybe he and Rei just bought those things to model for each other._

"Thanks for coming." Seijuro greeted them pleasantly. "We were just waiting on you to get started."

"Thanks for having us." Despite the conversation Gou had overheard earlier Makoto genuinely sounded happy to be there. He must feel better after Haru's reassurance.

"Don't mention it." Seijuro looked them over. The boys had dressed in workout clothes and Gou had packed a full pack of water, sunscreen, towels, and other things they might need. That pack was currently slung over Makoto's shoulder. A little amusing considering the outside of the pack was covered in a flowery design. Seeing the tall muscular Makoto carrying such a thing had forced Gou to hide her giggles more than once.

"Looks like you guys came prepared." Seijuro motioned to an area at the front of the pack of boys. "Sasabe and I will be up at the front. You boys can find a place in among the rest of them. We'll be starting shortly."

"Yes, Captain Mikoshiba!"

Even Seijuro looked a little taken aback at that energetic chorus from Nagisa and Rei. Nagisa even saluted him. "D-do you need anything, Gou-kun?"

She was a bit surprised at him addressing her directly, especially considering they were in full view of her brother somewhere out there on the sand, but at the same time she was sort of happy about it. He was paying special attention to her, maybe even making sure she knew he was aware of her presence and wasn't ignoring her because he wanted to. That was surprisingly endearing. "I'm alright, thanks. I'll just take a seat on a bench or something. Don't worry about me." As an afterthought she said, "And don't use Gou and kun together!"

Goro and he headed towards the front, and the boys, once Makoto had deposited Gou's pack on a bench off to the side, began to look for a spot for themselves. Gou was searching for something too and she spotted it near the back.

"Brother!"

Rin looked up at the sound of her voice. "Gou." The scowl on his face as she approached was unmistakable but not unusual. He was typically scowling these days. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Huh?"

"This training camp." His voice was low but his gaze was flickering hot. "What is it you're trying to do?"

She didn't get a chance to answer as Nagisa suddenly careened into their midst, shouting jubilantly. "Rin-chan!"

Rin made a strange face. "Nagisa?" He looked over the smaller boy's head. "Don't tell me you…"

Gou turned to see what it was her brother was looking at. Nagisa and Rei. They had chosen their exercise spot to be _right next_ to Rin. A few yards away Rei stood on his mat, an almost defiant look on his face as he observed Nagisa and Rin. Just beyond him was Makoto and next to Makoto Haru. The furthest away but still there, still present.

"Out of all the places on the beach and you had to chose this one?!"

"Yep!" Nagisa's enthusiasm was not deterred by Rin's reaction. "That way we can exercise together!" He raised his fist in the air. "Let's have fun today!"

"Fun?" Rin's scowl deepened. "You guys aren't worth my time." He turned his back on them very deliberately, almost dramatically, as if to make sure they knew he was completely and utterly going to pretend they didn't exist anymore.

"Rin-chan doesn't look to be in a good mood today," Nagisa observed.

_No,_ Gou thought sadly. _He's just back to his usual self._ The old Rin from her childhood had reared up for a moment after the boat incident but now that things were back to normal and Gou no longer in danger he was back in his angry and reclusive skin.

"Looks like they're starting." Rei pushed his glasses further onto his nose. The flash from the sun on the lens made it so she was unable to see his eyes, but his tone was strange, stiff almost. "You don't want to be in the way, Gou-san."

"O-oh, yes." She hurried to get out of the pack of boys. "Let me know if you need anything!"

The bench was a good place to be out of the way but close enough to still be able to observe everything. She had considered moving to the front but had reluctantly decided against it. Even if her and Seijuro had planned this training camp together it would be setting themselves up for suspicions to be raised if she was around him too much. Goro and he could easily run things without her help. Which left her to simply be an observer.

Watching the boys exercise wasn't as exciting as she had imagined it to be either. Most of the exercises they did involved some pretty odd positions and movements that looked rather ridiculous. Like kicking their feet rapidly as if they were young girls pretending to be mermaids.

Still it gave her a golden opportunity to observe the competition and she set to work documenting what she could. She knew from her excursion to the Samezuka training on that mini vacation which boys would be swimming in the same events as Iwatobi. She focused on finding them in the crowd and into her trusty notebook she made notes about their performance. She even drew their muscles and made notes about those. For research purposes of course.

Goro hadn't been lying when he had said the training was going to be tough. It wasn't long before the Iwatobi boys joined the shirtless crowd, shucking off their shirts to expose the marvelous muscles underneath. With Haru being the closest in Gou's line of vision she was treated to an enjoyable view of his unclothed torso. And the gleam of sweat on their skin like oil. And their slightly accelerated breathing that made their chests swell and their back muscles to move like a silky snake skin.

_I'm going to get another nose bleed._

When a short rest was called she was quick to bring water and towels to them. "Leave the water if you would." Makoto was breathing harder than she had thought from watching him at a distance. He was sweating profusely and downed almost the entire water bottle she had brought him in one gulp.

"Is the training really that hard?"

"It's just been a while." He gave her a weak smile.

Well, with that big body of his it was no wonder he would tire fast. Nagisa and Haru weren't much better off; Nagisa was so desperate to recover his breath he didn't speak a single word. The best out of them seemed to be Rei but that wasn't that much of a surprise with his track history. His stamina when it came to exercising on land was likely better than the others.

A discreet glance at Rin further down showed he was breathing a little heavily but not badly. Compared to Iwatobi he was in much better shape. But Rin had always been a bit of a physical nut. Ever since they were young kids he had been like that. Their mother used to poke fun at him about it, saying if he exercised anymore he was going to start looking like those wrestlers on TV Rin always used to make comments about. Even when Rin had stopped swimming upon his return from Australia he had spent his time jogging and exercising. No matter what he did he just seemed to be one of those people that had to stay physically active.

Once the break ended Gou was quick to get out of the way and return back to her bench and her notes. She was putting the finishing touches on one of the competition swimmers muscles when she sensed the presence of someone else and looked up.

It was a boy. Actually a group of boys. Teenage boys that looked to be around her age. They were watching the training camp with interest and one of them, the closest to Gou, smiled wildly. He chattered to her in a language she did not recognize.

"Uhhh." She had no idea what he was trying to say and since she wasn't even certain of his nationality she was at a loss as to what language it could be. They weren't Asian. Perhaps European of some sort or American. With halting words she asked if they were.

The boy said a word she didn't know. He gestured to the group of exercising swimmers, chattering away, then he gave her a thumbs up.

Gou knew what a thumbs up was but why he was giving her one she had no idea. Maybe he was saying he approved of the training camp or the boys exercising? _Maybe he likes muscles too._ Maybe he was approving of the drawing of muscles she had done. Hesitantly Gou gave him a thumbs up back.

The boy smiled widely once more. He said something to his companions and then unexpectedly they moved off towards the pack of boys.

"Wa-wait." She tried to rise to go after them but it was no good. Even if she did stop them she would be at an utter loss to communicate with them sufficiently. She watched in hopeless bafflement as they proceeded to set themselves up onto the back of the group, taking places not far behind Iwatobi and Gou's own brother in fact. From the front of the pack Gou caught Seijuro sending her a questioning gesture, indicating the new foreign boys, but all she could do was raise her hands and shoulders in a 'I don't know' expression.

Perhaps the foreign boys were swimmers themselves? It made sense and explained why they would be drawn to the training camp. Despite not being able to understand Japanese they were following along with the exercises well enough, which indicated they were familiar with them on some level or another. And it wasn't long before they followed suit with the others in the training camp and the shirts came off.

Gou fanned herself. Yes, yes, they had to be swimmers. Swimmer physiques for sure. _Those biceps and quads…_

It was getting close to sunset by the time the training camp ended. All the boys were exhausted, even the Samezuka ones who were more accustomed to such vigorous training. "That coach is a demon," Gou overheard one of them muttering as she weaved her way through to Iwatobi. "His training regime is really tough."

Gou grinned a little. Even if Samezuka was in better shape and the more experienced team Goro was still giving them a run for their money. Maybe Iwatobi wouldn't be as far behind them as circumstances would normally dictate.

Rin was already heading away when Gou reached them. He said nothing and hardly paid anyone a glance as him and Nitori gathered their things. Well, there was nothing to be done about it. If she went after him he would only get irritated or ignore her.

Gou turned her attention to the Iwatobi boys instead. She raised her eyebrows. "Is Nagisa dead?"

The smaller boy was stretched out on the sand, his face buried in the grains.

"He's alright." Makoto was sitting upright be he didn't look much better off than Nagisa. He was covered in sweat and nearly gasping for breath. "He's just worn out."

Nagisa moaned into the sand. He flopped one arm half heartedly. "I feel worse than that time I was hung over."

"You didn't throw up, did you?"

"…Maybe a little."

Now _that_ was bad. Gou still remembered how bad she had felt from her own hangover and Nagisa's had been ten times worse. If he felt worse than that time maybe he really was close to death.

"That is highly doubtful. Alcohol poisoning and being fatigued are two entirely different things," Rei admonished. He still went over to help the fallen get up though.

Nagisa was practically dead weight in Rei's arms. He sagged against the taller boy. "Carry me, Rei-chan."

"You aren't that fatigued!"

"We aren't doing this again tomorrow are we?" Makoto asked a little desperately. "I don't think I can take anymore of Goro's training."

Gou shook her head. "Tomorrow's running instead!" she said brightly.

Makoto looked a bit like he had been punched in the gut. Haru offered him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "You'll sleep well tonight at least."

"That's the least of my worries…"

_Speaking of Goro._ The coach had not made an appearance yet. He must have lagged behind to talk to Seijuro. "I'll go get Goro so we can get out of here." Getting them back to the lodge and out of the sun would be best for them. "You guys wait here."

No one offered a protest and Gou set out to for the front where Seijuro and Goro had been. Goro was still there, and Seijuro too, and with them was none other than the foreign boys who had tried talking to Gou earlier. They were speaking to Goro and Seijuro, or attempting to.

"What's going on?"

"They're trying to ask us something." Seijuro scratched the back of his neck, a slight frown marring his features. "I don't know their native language, and their English isn't so good. Neither is mine really. Sasabe doesn't speak it at all."

_English?_ She knew someone who spoke that. Pretty well too. "Hold on."

She managed to find her brother walking down the sidewalk on his way back to his lodge with Nitori. He paused at her calling, though he didn't look happy about it. "Gou, for the last time—"

She interrupted him before he had a chance to carry on his conniption fit. "I need you to translate!" She grasped her knees in an effort to regain her breath. Maybe she should follow along with the training too. She was getting a bit out of shape.

Rin's eyebrows lowered. "Translate?"

"English," she gasped. Now she understood how Nagisa felt. "I need you to translate English."

The face he made was one all teenagers make when they do not want to do a favor someone has asked them to do. "What? Why? Why do I have to do it? Get Azuma to do it."

"Because." Gou searched for the words that would convince him. It came to her a moment later. "Because you're the best at it."

The word every man falls for. Especially hot headed ones like Rin. Best. Someone like her brother would eat that up and as she expected it did.

Rin's sneer faded a bit. He shuffled on his feet. "Well…I suppose I could. But just this once!"

"Of course!" She seized his wrist and pulled him along. Despite agreeing to help he still acted like a petulant child and she had to drag him to where Seijuro was with the foreigners.

Seijuro looked a little concerned at the sight of her brother but then comprehension dawned on him. Rin had studied aboard. Out of everyone there he was the one most likely to understand any sort of English. Gou pushed him towards the foreigners. He aimed a hot glare at her over his shoulder but for the time being she paid it no mind. She could deal with his vinegary attitude if it meant helping Seijuro and the poor lost in translation foreigners, who she felt oddly responsible for. She had been the one to give up the thumbs up sign that had propelled them to join the training camp after all. In a way she had sort of adopted them.

The foreigners caught on to what Rin was there for and turned to speak to him directly. Rin listened intently for a moment before speaking. "They want to know if we are going to do this again, and if it would be alright if they participated once more."

Goro and Seijuro exchanged a look of surprise. Seijuro smiled and laughed. "Sure, sure, that's fine. So long as they bring their own equipment it's totally alright."

Rin translated that back to the foreigners. The boys smiled in turn. They bobbed their heads in what must have been thanks. Rin chatted with them a bit longer, reiterating what days the training camp would be held and what they would be doing.

"Are they American?" asked Nitori curiously at one point.

Rin repeated the question. He shook his head. "German."

By that time Iwatobi must have wondered what had happened to Gou and why she had not returned. They came walking up and it didn't take long for Rin to spot them. His sneer returned and his English became more clipped, as if embarrassed caught speaking it. "Am I done here?"

"Yes, that will be good. Thanks, Matsuoka."

"Yeah." He turned to head back without another word.

Nitori followed devotedly after him. "That was amazing, Rin-senpai! You speak English so well!"

"You shouldn't make a fuss over useless things, Nitori."

After some hand shaking and more head bobbing the Germans took off too as well, waving enthusiastically and full of beaming smiles.

"We should get going too." Gou shouldered her bag. Nagisa was leaning heavily on Rei, and even Haru was flitting around Makoto as if afraid the other boy was going to collapse any second.

"Yeah." Seijuro's gaze wandered over to where Rin was. He must have deemed it safe, for he said, "I'll see you at the house later?"

She nodded. "I'll be there a little later. I want to make sure these guys are alright first."

"I'll be waiting."

She turned away quickly lest he see the blush fan out across her cheeks.

* * *

She stayed at the Iwatobi lodges for quite some time to pamper the boys a bit. After their hard work she felt they deserved it. She surprised them with ice cream, provided them with hot and cold wraps to relieve their aching muscles, and offered encouragement and praise. She went over the schedule with them as well, outlining what they would be doing for the training camp and also the planned events the host country had for them. "Get lots of rest," she advised them. "You don't want to overexert yourselves."

That didn't seem to be an issue, for right after they were done with dinner the boys were too tired to do anything but head off to bed. Nagisa had actually fallen asleep _in_ his dinner he was so exhausted.

"You don't think this is too hard for them, do you?" Gou asked worriedly as she watched Makoto and Rei carry Nagisa to his bedroom. "Maybe it's too much?"

"They'll be alright." Goro waved his hand. "They're young, they'll recover quickly. If they have any hopes of winning they'll need this besides. You saw Samezuka. If they can't keep up with them they'll never be able to succeed. It'll get easier for them, you'll see."

Gou hoped that was true. She hated to think they were pushing the boys too far. But if they did want to win they would need to be pushed.

It was shortly after dinner that she finally headed over to the house. The lights were on and Seijuro was home, but the sight that greeted her when she opened the door was not one she had been expecting.

Seijuro was in the middle of the living room floor. Shirtless. Doing sit ups. "Hey." He greeted her without stopping.

Gou choked on her laugh. "W-what are you doing? Well, I mean I know what you're doing but why?"

"I have to lead the training. I don't get to join in the exercises." He paused a moment to breathe deeply. "So I'm doing them at home instead."

Gou shook her head, a small smile pulling at her mouth. She should have expected something like that. Seijuro was the type who would do such a thing. _Or maybe he just gets_ that _bored when I'm not here._

She left him to it and went into the bedroom to deposit her stuff from the day. Once that was finished she headed to the kitchen to check Samezuka's schedule. While she knew Iwatobi's by heart and they normally had identical schedules she still made sure to check Samezuka's periodically just in case. Seijuro still hadn't memorized the darn thing and she had an inkling he wasn't going to. Therefore it was up to her to verify it for him.

She brought it closer into the living room for the light and over the top of the paper she saw Seijuro had switched from sit ups to one hand push ups. And without his shirt she was given a most ample view of his back. His very muscular back.

She bit her lip. Honestly there was just something about his back. Anytime she saw it she was unable to take her eyes away. Was it because his back was so broad? No, that couldn't be it. Makoto's back was broader and while she could appreciate that view it was different. Maybe it was Seijuro's height? That might be it. Seijuro was the tallest person she knew. Maybe the fact he towered over her was part of what did it.

A thought suddenly hit her and she stifled a giggle. It was silly. Utterly silly and stupid but she couldn't help herself.

She walked over to where he was in the midst of feverishly rising up and down and promptly sat down on his back. He nearly fell to the floor at the unexpected weight and he had to shoot out his other arm to keep him upright.

"H-hey! What are you doing?"

"Helping you." Gou giggled. "The more weight you have the more benefit you'll get right?" She looked at him teasingly. "Why, can you not do it? I'm not _that_ heavy, am I?"

Those words had the effect she had anticipated. He smiled and made an amused noise in his throat. He resumed his push ups, apparently accepting her challenge. Gou grasped his shoulder to steady herself on his back. One very muscular shoulder. He was so high off the ground her feet could barely touch the floor either. _Such long arms._ Long muscular arms.

_Focus._ She brought her attention back to the schedule in her hand. Same as Iwatobi's. Same as always. _Well, that makes things easier._ She wouldn't have to memorize two different schedules. "Tomorrow is running for the training camp, right?"

"That's right." He didn't falter in his push ups as he answered her. "The day after that we'll take a break and then resume with the same sort of training we did today."

Gou grimaced. The boys weren't going to be too happy to hear that. "Nagisa almost died today."

"Did he? Good thing he didn't. Rei would have been upset."

She snorted a laugh through her nose. That he would have been. "You think those German boys will show up again tomorrow?"

"They might. Without a pool to practice in the training camp is the next best thing for them to stay in shape in the meantime. Plus it's completely free and they don't even have to do any planning for it except to show up. It's a win-win for them no matter what."

That was true. "We didn't get their names, did we?"

"No. I forgot to ask actually."

That was too bad. "I'll have to give them nicknames."

"What? Why?"

"I feel like I've adopted them."

Seijuro laughed. "If you name them though you'll become attached to them. Then they'll never leave."

"That's only if you feed them."

"That's true. With your pizza and mackerel I don't see that happening however."

Now it was her turn to laugh. She looked back to the schedule."We have another hosted even coming up."

"Do we?"

"The day after tomorrow."

Seijuro must have grown tired. He lowered himself to the floor and promptly rolled onto his side, forcing the laughing Gou to slide onto the ground. His hands circled her waist to steady and against her back she could feel the heat of his skin. He was almost curled around her. If he had bent his legs and moved them up she would have been essentially cradled against his midsection.

The intimacy of their position was quickly not lost on Gou. Her heart sped up and her brain faltered. She didn't want to necessarily ruin it – whatever _it_ was - but she wasn't sure how to react either without freaking out a bit. His eyes were on her face, alight with amusement and enjoyment, and Gou found she was too embarrassed to look back at him. Those sharp golden eyes of his were too much.

Grasping for something to do, she ended up shoving the schedule into his face. "W-we have a cooking class tomorrow."

His head jerked back at a bit at the sudden assault of paper. His hand reached up for it and he rolled onto his back in order to hold it above himself to read. The move to his back placed a little more space between them. Not enough that they still weren't close, but enough that the situation wasn't as incredibly intimate, and Gou felt herself relaxing a bit.

Seijuro studied the paper. "A cooking class?" His brow furrowed. "Why?"

"To learn to cook?" Gou giggled.

"Is that a good thing to do with a bunch of swimming teenage boys?"

"Probably not. Then again they did send us to a winery and gave us free alcohol."

"Good point. Noro said that was the worst hang over he's ever had. Something about wine hangovers being the worse."

"I wouldn't know."

"I wouldn't either. Let's keep it that way. I mean for both our sakes."

_Both our sakes?_ Gou wasn't sure what he meant by that.

He climbed to his feet. "I'm going to take a shower and then head to bed. You should too. We have to be up early tomorrow."

She accepted the hand he offered her to pull her to her feet. "What time did we decide on for tomorrow?"

"Nineish? That will give us some time before it gets too hot."

That sounded good. She would have to remember to change her alarm. She moved away to head to the bedroom and was nearly into the hall when Seijuro said her name.

He held up the schedule he still had a hold of. "The cooking class is the day after tomorrow, by the way." He grinned. "Not tomorrow."

He was poking fun of her. Pointing out how flustered she had been when they had been so close. Forgetting the day when events were planned. She wouldn't have done that normally. Only in certain _situations_ would she do such a thing. Gou's face reddened. "I-I knew that! I meant the day after tomorrow!"

His grin only widened and Gou's face only reddened more. She turned quickly away. "I'm going to bed!" she decreed.

His chuckle followed her. "Have a good night, Gou."

_It's Kou,_ she wanted to yell back at him but she was too embarrassed to do so. _What an idiot,_ but even she wasn't sure which one of them she was thinking of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions regarding the continuation of this fic! You guys are way too nice. I have the next few chapters roughly planned out so hopefully updates will come sooner; it really just depends on my free time with work and whatnot.
> 
> Also I was spelling senpai wrong this entire time. Whoops. You can tell how not Japanese I am.


	16. Cooking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a terrible, terrible author and I apologize. I actually finished this a week ago but what I had planned for the chapter turned out much shorter than I anticipated so I put it off in order to add more. I've also been spending quite a bit of time planning for this fic to fill in for the time I originally didn't have planned out so hopefully updates will come faster. Hopefully being the key word here hehe.

The next day when they did their running it was pleasant and beautiful out. Incredibly beautiful. The humidity was down and it was nice and sunny out. One of those days you would want to spend lounging in a chair outside with a good book or something.

Gou, however, was having a hard time enjoying it. She glared at the items lined on the bench in front of her as if it had done something highly offensive to her. Several large sports coolers and bags of plastic cups. This is what she had been reduced to.A water girl. She sighed despondently.

The idea had been a courtesy of Goro and none other than Amakata. Samezuka had thrown in the majority of the money needed for the coolers and none other than the returning German team had bought the cups once they had caught on to the idea. It had been a joint effort.

And Gou was the one who got stuck manning it. She crossed her arms with a huff.

Despite herself she knew it did make sense for her to do it. All the boys were busy running and she was the only free one about that was involved with the training camp. As a manager it was her duty to manage such things but still. It was kind of lame feeling like she was simply standing around running a lemonade stand.

At least she wasn't alone in her demoted position. To the side Amakata sat in blissful serenity beneath her umbrella. The teacher had opted to come along to get some fresh air and to observe the boys progress she had claimed, though honestly Gou wasn't sure how much of that was true. More than likely the teacher was just bored with everyone being gone at the training camp and there was only so much one could do by themselves in the town. She didn't even have Goro free to drag along with her.

She fanned herself and stretched her arms over her head. "Ah, it's so hot. I'm going to work up a sweat if I'm not careful."

Gou was opt to point out that Amakata wouldn't feel so hot if she shed the light outer layer she had worn over her dress but decided not to. Amakata refused to wear swim suits and that rule of hers seemed to carry over to sleeveless dresses in the form of a light jacket to cover her arms. Come to think of it Gou couldn't recall a single time she had seen the teacher expose her entire arms. Maybe Amakata was just one of those people who didn't feel comfortable in exposing much of her body, even if it were just something as harmless as her arms.

Gou fanned her own shirt. She had debated wearing a swimsuit herself but after considering the company she was going to be around had dropped that idea. Like the day of the clam hunting being around a slew of teenage boys as the only girl and being scantily dressed was not something she really wanted to do.

"Oh, look." Amakata sat up straighter. "That's one of those German boys you told me about isn't it?"

Indeed it was. Not only had the German group shown up again for the second day of the training camp but they had brought along additional members. It had been interesting to watch her brother interact with them earlier, Rin translating between the two groups. Seeing him doing something that helped others made her really proud for some reason. Perhaps because it reminded her a bit of him from the old days when he had been friendlier and enjoyed socializing. These days the only one he seemed to associate with was Nitori, and that seemed to be mainly due to Nitori's dogged determination to be around his senpai more than anything. The young boy's diligence was truly impressive.

"I heard there was a group of Chinese swimmers that joined in today too?"

"That's right." One of the Samezuka members or maybe even one of the Germans must have told them about it. Either way this morning there they were, and Seijuro and Goro had both been obliging in letting them join in. The training camp was apparently catching on with additional swim teams and Gou couldn't help feeling a bit proud about it. Seijuro might have been the one who had thought of it but she had been the inspiration behind that idea. _And Rei's swimming books of all things._

The second day of their training camp mostly consisted of running and some light stretching exercises. Those exercises had been part of their warm up this morning and now the boys were in the midst of running about four miles. Goro and Seijuro had set up the running route to be a circle roughly a mile and a half long, with part of the route being half on sand and half on pavement of the streets. The participants were to go around it three times, and Gou and the water jugs had been placed at the start and ultimately the end as well, a place the swimmers could stop if they needed refueling.

Speaking of which…

"I'm going to die." Nagisa sank down until his knees were nearly on the ground, his head and arm supporting him barely upright against the bench. "Why are Goro-chan's regimes so hard?"

"Now, now, Nagisa. Now isn't the time to give up." Makoto swiped an arm across his forehead. "We only have halfway more to go."

Nagisa groaned. "Someone carry me the rest of the way."

"That would be defeating the purpose of the training camp altogether now, wouldn't it?"

Gou handed a towel to the sweaty Makoto. "The training isn't too hard is it? I tried to tell Seijuro that but…"

At the mention of the Samezuka captain's first name Makoto paused for a second and for some reason Gou swore she saw the hint of a smile. "It'll be fine," he reassured her. "It's only the second day. It'll get easier as time goes on and if Samezuka is able to do it then we should be able to as well."

"That's the spirit!" They would _need_ to do it if they had any hope of beating not just Samezuka but also the also other countries in the tournament. It was an ambitious goal but Gou had faith they would be able to do it. The boys were willing to put in more work than anyone. Well except maybe her brother. When he had a goal in mind he tended to throw himself into it with a tenacity that bordered on obsessive.

"Just do your best and I'm sure everything will work out," said Amakata encouragingly from under her umbrella. "As Margaret Mead once said learning the value of hard work is by working hard!"

Whatever that meant.

The boys moved off after resting for a few minutes. Other runners came and went by her station, mainly Samezuka members but also pair of Germans, who gestured and head bobbed with Gou in a somewhat hilarious communication attempt on both their ends. Gou still wasn't too familiar with the majority of the Samezuka members but there were a few she recognized fairly well. Like the one who had drank way too much at the winery and whom she often heard Seijuro making comments about. And the one with the youngish looking face who was often in the other's company. She had seen him take charge of the swim team on occasion, like when Seijuro had been detained while dealing with that little punching incident at the ship museum. She didn't know their names but she did remember their faces and they smiled thankfully at her when she gave them water. They had to know her by sight considering she was the only girl but if they knew anything else about her she had no idea. She found it highly unlikely that Rin would speak about her to anyone besides maybe Nitori, and Seijuro was staying a bit tighter lipped due to their current circumstances. He wasn't yelling out her name whenever he saw her like he used to do anyway. Then again they were seeing each other quite a bit more often than they had in the past. They lived together for God's sake.

Speaking of her brother and the Samezuka captain. Rin passed by her little setup first. He didn't stop and as he passed by he kept his gaze pinned straight ahead, not even sparing a glance her way. Nitori made to stop but when he saw that Rin was _not_ stopping instantly pursued the red head, crying out senpai and compelling the older male to wait.

And followed shortly after her brother was none other than the Samezuka captain and Goro. Gou narrowed her eyes at the both of them. "You're following behind my brother on purpose aren't you?"

A wide grin spread across Seijuro's face at her words and in his golden eyes there was an undeniable devious twinkle. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

That was a good a yes as any. He definitely was following Rin on purpose. Even Goro was smirking, the coach moving past the water station and over to Amakata. The teacher had risen from her chair at the appearance of the two men and if Gou wasn't mistaken she was smiling softly. _Must be because Goro's the only other adult around._ The coach and teacher moved away a few feet, but if it were to give Seijuro and her privacy or because _they_ wanted privacy Gou didn't know.

She turned her attention back to Seijuro. "You're incorrigible."

"I prefer the term insatiable." He proceeded to dump a cup of water over his head.

"Of course you do." Gou watched transfixed at the rivulets of water streaked down his frame. His shirt lacked sleeves as usual and while he was turned away she couldn't help but indulge herself a bit. _Such amazing biceps._ Faintly she wished he had taken his shirt off. It was practically sticking to him like a second skin but the fabric was still irritatingly in the way of her looking at beautiful muscles.

"If I keep him in front of me I know where he is at all times," Seijuro was saying and Gou quickly averted her gaze as he turned around. "That way we can insure no mishaps occur."

What mishaps exactly he was referring to she had no idea but she couldn't argue with his logic either. By keeping her brother in his sight's Seijuro could make sure him and Gou weren't too close when the other male was around. "You've lost him now though. He'll be way far ahead by the time you start running again."

"I'll catch up."

"You think so? My brother's pretty fast you know."

"I'm faster." He shot her a cocky grin that made Gou turn away lest he see her blush.

He stayed for another moment to go over the stopwatch Gou had brought. She had started the device when they had first started running and she was to record the times when each runner finished. "Names don't matter so much so don't worry about that," said Seijuro. "I just want to get a general idea of times."

Gou nodded at the instructions, her eyes glued to her notebook. "Got it."

She looked up in slight surprise when she felt his hand briefly atop her head. The touch wasn't a pat exactly. It was something softer, more affectionate.

"Perfect, keep it up. I'll check it later when the camp's over with."

"A-ah."

She was glad the Samezuka captain and Iwatobi coach moved off and resumed their running after that. Her cheeks felt hotter than the sun beating down on them. She fanned her face.

"Is something wrong, Gou-chan? You look a bit flushed." Then again Amakata was still there. Of course.

"N-nothing. It's just hot."

Amakata's face said she knew better than that and Gou was forced to pour a cup of water over her own head to backup her excuse.

The training camp lasted for about another hour and a half as the tired swimmers steadily staggered to the end of their last lap. To say they were exhausted would have been an understatement. Some were so tired they flopped onto the sand like beached muscular mermaids and didn't budge for several long minutes. Others leaned heavily against random objects, their whole bodies moving with the force of their labored breathes. One poor soul was puking into the bushes, but whether that was from the strenuous exercise or a hangover was unknown. At least while they were in this country it was anyway.

Iwatobi finished strongly in the middle. All of them came in together which meant they had run together on purpose. While it wasn't a bad place to be it made it harder for Gou to determine their fitness individually. Rei would surely have outrun the other three if he had gone off on his own.

_And leave his precious Nagisa?_ Yeah right. It was rather cute to see the four foregoing performance to support one another though. Even if it made it more difficult for Gou. _I bet they would work really well in a relay together…_

It was nearly early afternoon by the time the last swimmer finished the run. Considering they had started at around ten the training camp had taken more time than Gou had expected. Then again with the new swimmers from other counties joining in it wasn't surprising that it would take longer.

"You boys should head back now." Goro clapped a hand on the sweaty Makoto's shoulder. "Good work today, you boys did well. Go back to the lodge and rest up. I'll take care of the rest here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it. Mikoshiba and I will take care of it. I need to talk to him about tomorrow anyway."

Speaking of Seijuro. Gou still had to give him the times she had recorded. She stretched her neck up to search for him in the crowd of swimmer boys. He had come in shortly after her brother – somehow he had managed to catch up with him like he had said he would – and so had not approached or said a word to her. She found him rather easily with his red hair and height. He was on the opposite side of the crowd. Next to him was none other than her brother. The two of them were talking to the Germans and unless Gou really wanted to push her luck it was best to stay away for the time being. Even if it was just about the running times interacting with Seijuro in any sort of context in front of Rin was just inviting disaster in. One wrong word or sentence and Rin would be on it like a shark on a wounded fish. She would just have to text him later.

She turned her attention to Amakata still lounging in her chair. "Are you not coming back with us, Ama-chan?"

"Oh no, you guys go on ahead." She beamed a smile. "I'll stay here and assist with the clean up."

"R-really?"

Amakata hadn't moved from her chair and in the attire she was in it didn't seem like she was suited to clean up anything, much less large water coolers. Actually it didn't seem like she had any intention of cleaning up whatsoever. Why she had said such a thing was beyond Gou. Amakata could be really weird sometimes.

The five of them headed off towards the lodges and further down the road Gou glanced behind herself. She could see Amakata's umbrella and next to the bright colored thing was Goro. The two were chatting amicably and as Gou watched the teacher laughed lightly, her hand poised to cover her mouth.

_Is she…is she_ flirting? It certainly seemed like it. Was that the reason she had wanted to stay behind, to spend time with the swimming coach? She had bought that white board for him too. The two had been spending quite a bit of time with each other since arriving to the country but Gou had just assumed it was because they were the only two adults they knew while they were here. _Could it be that they…_ like _each other?_ Maybe it was something in the water that was causing it…

Makoto held out a water bottle. "Do you want some water, Gou?"

Gou recoiled like he had just presented her with a live hissing snake. "No!"

* * *

It ended up being that Seijuro was busy that night. He had had a meeting with Nakagawa and after that several of the swim team members had coerced him into sticking around. Supposedly anyway. Gou wouldn't have been surprised if he had wanted to spend some time with his team outside of the training camp, swimming, or the hosted events considering he hadn't been associating with them much lately. If anything he had been hanging around Iwatobi for the majority of his free time. He needed that time with his team so Gou wasn't upset in the least when he texted her letting her knew he would not be around.

Well so long as they weren't planning on going out to the bars she didn't care anyway. For some reason imagining Seijuro at the bar drinking and getting intoxicated made her uneasy. He had gotten married to her the last time he had gotten drunk for God's sake. What sort of shenanigans could he get into the second time he got wasted? And with whom for that matter?

Gou bit a fingernail. She disliked thinking about that almost as much as she disliked picturing any other girls Seijuro might have kissed before her. He was technically free to do whatever he wanted with whomever he wanted. It would just be…rude for him to do so. Yes, that was it, rude. That must be why it bothered her. Regardless if their marriage had been a mistake and they weren't in a relationship of any sort he was still legally married, damnit. It would be rude for him to pursue someone else why they were stuck in their little situation.

"Your face is turning slightly red, Gou-san." Of course Rei would choose to be overly observant _now_ of all times. "Is the temperature too hot in here for you?"

Nagisa grinned like a fat cat with a mouse. "I bet she's thinking about Sei-chan!"

Gou stiffened. "I-I am not! It's just hot in here!" _Stupid Nagisa! Stupid Rei!_ Those two together could be the worse.

She spent a bit of time at the Iwatobi lodges but overall the boys were too exhausted to provide much entertainment. Nagisa passed out drooling all over the couch cushions whilst watching _Pretty Woman_ of all things– Gou assumed he had taken the video from Amakata's collection but then again it was Nagisa - and Rei followed suit shortly after; falling asleep while sitting up, his chin bobbing onto his chest whilst Julia Roberts complained about dresses or something on screen. Haru disappeared into the bathroom shortly after their arrival and failed to come back out. He had likely turned the bathtub into his own personal kitty pool and was lounging in it with his swimming jammers on.

"He's restless," said Makoto when Gou mentioned it. "We haven't had much swim time lately." His mouth twitched with the beginnings of a frown. "I'm starting to get a little restless myself. The training camp certainly helps but nothing compares to actual swimming. It would be nice if the hosts could get us our own pool to use. We could really use the practice to tighten up our times."

That they could and Gou understood where he was coming from. It was frustrating for all of them that they had a competition coming up and such limited swim time, but thankfully that would be changing in the weeks ahead. According to the schedule their swimming days would increase as they got closer to the competition. The three weeks beforehand would involve lots more swimming time. They would be stretching out the training camp for about another week roughly to compensate for the current lack of swim time and then after that it would be strictly swimming. Plus the hosted events. Those weren't going away.

After the boys proved to be lumps on a log Gou decided to invite Hana to go to dinner with her. Having spent so much time around boys lately with no other girls besides Amakata it was nice to get some girl time. Even if Hana could be really irritating sometimes…

"Soooo how's your marriage with Mikoshiba-san going?"

Gou scowled with her fork full of God only knew what halfway to her mouth. Communicating her order to the waiter had been a messy ordeal and honestly she wasn't even sure if she had been served what she had tried to order. It was delicious regardless so she wasn't complaining. "Do you have to phrase it like that?" she demanded of the girl sitting across from her. "And why do you always ask about that anyway?"

Hana waved a hand. "Oh come on now! You know you would be asking the _exact_ same thing if our positions were switched."

Point taken. If Hana had been the one who had gotten married while drunk then Gou would have been the one asking her all sorts of intrusive questions about it. Saying she wouldn't do such a thing would have been a straight up lie. Come to think of it imagining Hana marrying some random guy while drunk was actually sort of hilarious. Gou's eyelids lowered to half mast. _I'm damning myself in my own logic here._

She tried to shrug as casually as possible, poking with her fork at what might be a shrimp on her plate. Or a crawfish. She really wasn't sure. "Nothing's happened. We've just been running the training camp."

"Seriously?" Hana leaned forward in her chair. "You mean to tell me nothing else has happened since you guys kissed?"

Gou jumped in her chair, her fork falling onto her plate with a clatter. "I told you! _We_ didn't kiss. _He_ kissed _me_!"

Hana sat back in her chair with a frown. "I'm surprised he hasn't tried anything else since then." She sounded almost disappointed by the news.

Gou scowled again. In retrospect it might have been a bad idea to tell Hana about the kiss. But she had had to tell _somebody_ about it! She would have gone crazy just keeping it to herself.

Besides Seijuro had only kissed her because she had been whining about not being able to remember her first kiss she was fairly certain. She found it highly unlikely it would ever occur again. Because anytime she thought about her first kiss now all she could think about was that kiss in that bedroom and therefore she had no more reason to complain…

"Maybe he's shy," said Hana.

Gou guffawed around her shrimp/crawfish. As if Seijuro could be shy about anything. Shyness was simply not a facet of his personality.

"Maybe he's scared of you," Hana continued.

"Of me?! I'm half his size!"

"Speaking of that, you know what they say about tall guys, right? If he has big feet then that means he has- "

" _Big shoes_ ," Gou interceded before Hana had a chance to finish, her hands clutching her fork more tightly than necessary.

"Imagine if you guys were to do it though," Hana carried on heedlessly. "He's so big, you're likely to be crushed."

Gou choked. "H-hana!"

"You'll have to be on top for sure. That's the only way to be safe. This is for your protection. As your best friend I implore you to-"

Gou proceeded to spill her drink all over the table. Luckily it was water but it still soaked the tablecloth and nearly Hana's lap. Gou kind of wished it had. It took several minutes and several napkins for them and a poor busboy to clean up the mess, and afterwards Hana complained about her seat being wet.

_Good._ Served her right for talking about…that stuff! Seijuro and her's relationship was not like that and Gou really didn't want to hear Hana pondering about certain bedroom activities. Not to mention there was no way in hell Gou was going to talk about Seijuro's…endowments. Ogling his naked chest and back was one thing but discussing more…private areas was not a land Gou wanted to trespass into. The line had to be drawn in the sand somewhere. _My face is so hot right now._

"Imagine how mad your brother would be though if he found out," said Hana once they had resumed their meal. "I mean about you and Mikoshiba-san kissing, not that other stuff."

Gou stiffened. "We aren't going to know how he would reach because we aren't going to _tell_ him. Isn't that right?"

"I know, I know. Trust me, I'm not going to say anything. But Mikoshiba-san must be pretty brave to do such a thing considering how Rin-san would react if he were to find out. Is he aware that your brother has shark teeth?"

That…actually was a good point. Not the shark teeth part but the possibility of Rin and Seijuro geting into an altercation. It would be devastating to say the least. Rin would definitely confront Seijuro if her brother were to find out, there was no doubt in Gou's mind about that, and Seijuro didn't seem like the type who would docilely take any antagonizing regardless of it being her brother or not. Both boys were incredibly strong and neither of them particularly lacking in the height department. A fight between the two, a _real_ fight, could end up causing some serious injury.

_That's why it's imperative that brother does not find out._ They had two months left. If they could get through the next two months and back to Japan without incident then they would be home free and able to get a divorce. They had made it through one month. Two months surely couldn't be that much worse, right?

"But even if it was Mikoshiba-san who kissed you and you didn't kiss him," Hana was saying, "you still liked the kiss, didn't you?"

Gou's whole body jerked like she had just been given an electric shock. She nearly knocked the whole table over. "W-what? What do you mean _did I like it_? What kind of question is that!"

Hana blinked at her for a moment. She leaned back with a slight smile. "Well, now I know you did."

Gou's hands tightened on the edge of the table. "W-what?! Why?!"

Hana's smile widened into a smirk. She winked at her. "Because you didn't say you didn't."

* * *

The next morning Gou sat on the curb sippng a juice box in front of the building they were to be having their hosted event. The hosted event which would be cooking. Cooking of all things. They should have renamed it home ec. The building was on the smallish side, smaller than she would have anticipated, made of stones with that old town look about it. The words pizzeria stood proudly on its front.

"Pizzeria?" Nagisa gazed at the letters, gnawing absentmindedly on a granola bar. The boys had been too tired after yesterday to wake up early enough to eat much this morning. Their breakfast had pretty much consisted of whatever they could grab as they were leaving the lodges. "Why a pizzeria? Are we not making local stuff?"

"Maybe they consider pizza local cuisine?" Rei offered, though it didn't sound like even he was very convinced about that either.

Nagisa scratched his blond head. "I thought pizza was invented in Italy?"

Rei hummed in his throat and Gou paused from chewing on her straw. Did…did Rei actually _not_ know that? It was the first time she could think of that he didn't know at least a little about something since he had been unable to figure out why he couldn't swim upon first joining the club.

"You should ask Goro. That's more of his expertise," said Rei. He did have a point there. Goro was their resident pizza expert and it was actually a good thing he didn't know exactly where they would be cooking at. He would have insisted he come along if he knew it was going to be at a pizzeria.

Gou yawned and placed her chin in the cup of her palm. She was so tired. She had not slept well last night and if Samezuka took any longer she was going to fall asleep here. It was all Hana's fault she hadn't slept well. After all the things she had said at dinner Gou had felt way too self-conscious to go back to the house with Seijuro and so had spent the night at Iwaboti's place instead. Seijuro had been busy with his own swim team anyway. If anyone asked that was her excuse. Besides they had a hosted event today and she would have had to go over to Iwatobi's in the morning regardless. Staying at Iwatobi had saved her a few trips, although it meant she missed out on sleep. Seijuro's bed had cursed her.

"They're here," Haru said and Gou tilted her head to look dully over. Inside her chest her heart sped up a fraction despite herself. She promised herself she wouldn't let it bother her but all the things Hana had said about Seijuro and her still flickered at the edges of her mind. They were embarrassing, especially when he was standing right in front of her.

"Good morning, Tachibana-san!" came Seijuro's exuberant greeting. "Sorry we're late."

"Oh no, it's fine. Don't worry about it," Makoto greeted back pleasantly. "We weren't waiting long." That was a lie, a complete lie, but Makoto was too polite to say otherwise.

Gou clasped her hands with her juice box together between her knees and pretended to be very interested in the architecture of the nearby buildings. Maybe if she acted like Seijuro wasn't there he wouldn't notice her…

"Good morning, Gou-kun!"

She grit her teeth. Maybe if she just didn't look at him…"G-good morning."

"You look tired," he observed. "Did you not sleep well?"

He just _had_ to ask that out of everything. She coughed. "Y-yes." She tried to force down her blush. "And don't use Gou and kun together!"

Before the cooking class they were given a short tour of the pizzeria. It was relatively uneventful and rather boring. The only part that was somewhat interesting was the huge firing oven the pizzas were cooked in, although Nagisa's comment of, "Imagine how many bodies you could fit in there," was rather uncalled for.

"Are we really going to be making pizzas?" Gou whispered as they were ushered into the back of the building. She was having a very hard time believing it. "Doesn't that seem a little ridiculous?"

"This whole country is ridiculous," muttered Makoto.

"I'm assuming they wanted us to make something that was familiar," said Rei. "Pizza is pretty universal. I wouldn't be surprised if all the different countries participating in the program will be making it."

Nagisa tilted his head thoughtfully to the side. "I once heard a saying that pizza is in every country where sex exists supposedly."

Gou nearly stepped on her own foot at the sudden comment, and Rei proceeded to splutter and turn red as a tomato. In front of them Seijuro made a noise that sounded suspiciously like suppressed laughter.

"N-Nagisa." Makoto's smile was incredibly strained. "L-let's not bring up those sorts of things right now, huh?"

"But he is right. Pizza must exist in every country then." Despite their topic of conversation Haru's blasé expression did not change in the least. "Sex does."

"H-Haru!" Now Makoto was starting to turn as red as Rei.

"Exactly! See! Haru-chan gets it!"

They were luckily interrupted by the host before that conversation had a chance to develop any further. The woman ushered them into a room full of cooking stations. There were two of each station to a row and each station was designed to accommodate two people. And of course the host proposed using the seating on the bus as a way to designate pairs.

_Of course._ Gou sighed. Then again, if she wasn't forced to pair up with Seijuro then _who_ wouldshe pair up with? Iwatobi had an odd number of members. Someone would have to be the odd man out and pair up with someone outside of Iwatobi. Rei and Nagisa would certainly not split up – especially not _now_ – and Haru and Makoto very obviously wanted to be paired with each other. If things had been different Gou would have thought she could pair up with her brother but as things stood now she wasn't sure if he would have agreed to it. Being the one guy stuck with the only girl there and it was his sister on top of which. That wasn't exactly presenting a very macho image to the other guys.

Instead what would have most likely happened is Makoto would have offered Gou his spot so she wouldn't get stuck with someone she didn't know. He would have done that only to be nice though and in the end it would have made none of them happy. So in some regards being forced to pair up with Seijuro actually made things a bit easier. Except for the fact they had to be careful around her brother that is…

The host gave them each long aprons to wear over their clothes. Long white aprons that required the back and neck strings to be tied, a task that proved troublesome for the less experienced boys when it came to such maneuvers. Rei and Nagisa tied each others with little fuss, as if it were perfectly natural for them to assist each other in such a fashion. Haru tied his own with ease and then wordlessly assisted Makoto when the other boy struggled. After all the times Haru had spent cooking mackerel at his home he must be well used to kitchen aprons.

From the back of the room she caught Rin glaring over at them but if it was because of Haru and Makoto or because Seijuro and her were so close she didn't know. A moment later his attention was deterred anyway by Nitori's struggled with the apron strings. "How could you possibly be having so much trouble?" he grumbled but still assisted the younger boy.

Gou fortunately had no trouble with tying her's, having had some experience with tying bikini tops, and thankfully neither did Seijuro. Although where his experience came from… _Hopefully not from tying biking tops._ Tying other girls' bikini tops. Gou crossed her arms over her chest, a growl ushering deep in her throat.

"Do you have any experience making pizza?" asked Seijuro.

Gou started and quickly dropped her arms. "N-none at all. You?"

"I've heated up frozen ones in the oven before," he said brightly.

"I…I don't think that counts…"

A large tower full of big dough balls was rolled out by the host and some guy in a chef's apron assisting her. Each team was handed one of the large squishy masses. "Now make sure you stretch the dough properly!" the host cautioned. "If you stretch it too thin you'll create holes. If you do create a hole don't worry though. You can just patch it back up! Make sure you stretch it evenly on all sides and don't pull too much from the center! One of the top chefs here will demonstrate!"

Gou watched with rapt attention as the gentleman demonstrated how best to stretch the dough. He stretched it and tossed it from one hand to the other easily without the dough stretching to the point of separation. He even stretched it on the tips of his fingers like he was attempting a cat's cradle.

"Now you try!" the host encouraged once the man was done with his little demonstration.

_Well, that didn't_ look _so hard._ Or at least the chef made it look relatively easy. She watched as Seijuro attempted it. He stretched it along the top of their station. "This is easy! Just like that, right?" He tore a hole in it. "Oops."

"Pinch the dough back together to seal it back up," Gou suggested. "Like this." She leaned over to do it and it was only after she had done so she realized how close she had gotten to him. Her arm brushed against his midsection and she was nearly pressed against his side. Quickly she jerked back as if she had suddenly caught sight of a snake hidden in the dough. "Like that!" she squeaked like a mouse being stepped on.

It was easier said than done repairing their broken pizza. No matter how they tried to keep stretching it the same hole kept opening up. "I think we need a new one." Seijuro gazed at their poor dismembered dough. "This one doesn't seem like it's going to work out."

They weren't the only ones having trouble. Nagisa and Rei's attempt to stretch their dough by Rei holding onto one end and Nagisa running whilst holding onto the other – Nagisa's idea of course – had turned out poorly with Rei holding onto a huge glob that resembled stretched taffy all the way to the floor and Nagisa holding onto a shred. Haru was still working on his attempt, carefully and methodically turning the dough on the table like he was working on a piece of priceless pottery instead of a common food item. Several of the Samezuka members had failed attempts as well. Some of them were still squabbling over how best to proceed.

Gou glanced behind herself to how her brother had fared. He stood there with his arms crossed, clearly declaring he had no intention of participating in the activity. That didn't stop him from issuing hints and recommendations to his younger compatriot however and finally, with Nitori still struggling, he sighed and took over. Not that it helped. He ripped it in record time and the look of pure contempt on his face for the dough made Gou turn away before he caught her laughing at him.

He had always been that way, even when they were kids. He always grew frustrated if something he didn't really like doing failed to work out the way he wanted it too.

They were given a second piece of dough to try out with and Gou took over this attempt. She tried tossing it from hand to hand like she had seen the chef do. "Like this?" She dropped it. "Oops."

They were given a third piece as behind them Nagisa cried out for his third as well. _We're as bad as Nagisa._ Gou bowed her head in shame.

"Now, now." The host flustered at how much dough was being given out. "Let's try to stay focused. You're all…Why doesn't the chef give us another demonstration!"

He stepped forward and did, but this time he made a terrible mistake. He tossed the relatively flat dough into the air, twirling it smartly and catching it quite impressively as it came down.

"Ohhh! That was so cool!" Nagisa's exclamation of wonder was unmistakable. Gou flinched. This was not going to end well.

"Let's try that, Rei-chan!" he proclaimed and promptly threw his dough into the air amid Rei's splutters of protest. The flat disc of dough spun in the air like a plane that had lost one of its wing and then splattered onto the top of Rei's head like a large soggy leaf. Nagisa burst out laughing.

"D-don't do that!" said the host but it was too late. Nagisa's toss had started a chain reaction and several of the Samezuka members followed suit. There were soon discs of dough flying haphazardly in the air like UFO's with drunken aliens at their helms. Boys dove to catch the falling items. A few lucky ones did. Others that weren't so lucky ended up tripping all over each other and flopping onto the floor along with the dough.

"Don't be hooligans!" Seijuro held up a large spoon like he was going to beat them with it. "If you're going to throw it in the air make sure you catch it!"

"Yes, sir!" came the usual chorus.

"The point was not to throw it in the air at all," said the host in a small voice but then sighed and seemed to give up.

Gou's and Seijuro's third attempt to stretch out their dough turned out a little better. Gou diligently kept the dough on the table and carefully stretched it. Sweat dripped down the side of her face at her focused concentration.

"Make sure you don't tear it." Seijuro was practically hovering over her. It was awfully distracting and Gou's face was turning red but she refused to deter from her goal. The chef made it look so easy. She could do this!

"I got it, I got it."

In the end Gou managed it but their dough had very thick edges and an extremely thin middle. It was nowhere close to round and looked more like a deformed pancake than anything.

"Well, the crust is supposed to be thick, right?" Seijuro poked at it like it were a dead animal. "At least it doesn't have any holes."

Behind them Nagisa and Rei had finally accomplished their task as well, and Haru had gotten his on the first try. All that time spent carefully stretching had paid off. His was the only one that even closely resembled what a pizza shape was supposed to look like. Beside him Makoto's eyes were sparkling with pride and adoration, like a mother whose child had gotten a really good grade or a significant other who had just witnessed their boyfriend do something amazing. In Makoto's case it was likely the latter.

Next was the pizza sauce. Gou would have thought that would be easier than the pizza and it was, but not when it came to Nagisa. The boy made a huge mess with the marinara. He splattered it onto the pizza like he was throwing paint at a wall and the residual splashing even came down like a red rain onto Gou and Seijuro, prompting both of them to turn with a chorus of scolding protests. The cheese was next which fortuitously was uneventful as Rei took over from Nagisa and then they were offered a variety of toppings to choose from.

"Mackerel?" Haru inquired immediately. His face fell with devastation when the host responded they didn't have any available.

"Don't worry." Makoto patted his back. "We'll just add mackerel to it once we get back to the lodge!"

Haru accepted this suggestion with a sullen nod.

"Let's put everything on it, Rei-chan!" Nagisa declared.

"W-what?! Do you know how many items are on that list?!"

Seijuro scanned the list of toppings they had been given. "What do you want?"

" _Anything_ but pineapple." Gou shuddered, memories of what they had been stuck eating during the training camp on the ocean flashing through her mind. "Or mackerel," she added.

"Olives then?"

"Ugh, olives? No way."

"Onions?"

"Even worse."

"Watercress?"

"I don't even know what that is."

"Fungi?"

"Like the stuff that grows on cow poop? No thanks."

He suggested a few more things, all of which Gou instantly shot down, and finally he lowered the sheet with a sharp flick of his wrists. "What _do_ you want then?!"'

"I don't know! Stop picking weird stuff!"

"It's not weird!" He huffed through his nose. "Fine. What _isn't_ weird then?"

"What about bacon?"

"That's way too fatty!"

Oh yeah his diet. She had forgotten. "BBQ chicken then."

"Do you know how many calories BBQ has?"

Gou rolled her eyes to the ceiling. They didn't seem capable of agreeing on anything. Pretty ridiculous considering it was just toppings on a pizza.

"I got it." Seijuro dropped the list to the table top. "We'll split it in half."

"Half?"

"Yeah. We'll each get half of it. That way we can both put what we want on it and both be happy."

Half. Just like her mother had said. _When you're married you're supposed to do everything by halves._ And maybe you were supposed to do it in halves because then, like Seijuro had said, it would make both of them happy.

Gou shook her head. It was no good to be thinking like that. Even if it was something as silly as splitting a pizza.

A good thing they had decided to split it too considering the ingredients Seijuro put on his half. Olives, onions, mushrooms, peppers. It sort of looked like an extremely drunken leprechaun had puked all over it. Gou's upper lip arched in disgust. "Your breath is going to smell atrocious after you eat this, you know?"

"Well." Seijuro's tone was strange, almost mischievous. "I guess you'll just have to stay far enough away that you won't be able to smell my breath until it wears off then, huh?" He flashed her a sly, cocksure grin.

Gou's face reddened. The thought of how close she would need to be in order to smell his breath… Hana's words echoed through her mind once again. _"But you liked it, didn't you?"_ Quickly she turned away. "I-I don't need something like that."

Discretely she tilted her head to get her brother in sight. He wasn't looking her way and it didn't appear that he had somehow managed to hear Seijuro from that distance. Her older sibling was currently preoccupied rebuking Nitori's choice of toppings.

"Do they have anything else planned for us to make, Gou-chan?" Behind her Nagisa's face was dotted with flecks of marinara and there was splotches of it in his hair. His apron was so covered in the red sauce it looked like he had murdered someone whilst wearing it. Beside him Rei was making a valiant attempt at cleaning the stuff off his glasses. Their pizza was practically a mountain too, Nagisa apparently having gotten his request to put every topping on the thing.

"T-they might have but…" She looked around the room. The once pristine area was now mottled with pieces of dough, marinara, and various toppings that had been spilled onto the ground. The floor looked like some sort of bad smearing experiment had been performed on it. Someone had even somehow managed to get some dough stuck to the ceiling. It swung dangerously like a pendulum, ready to come down on someone's head at any moment.

Gou grimaced. "I don't think they're going to now."

* * *

Back at the house, Gou peered into the oven at the bubbling mass that was their pizza. Despite its weird shape it still looked incredibly appetizing and the smell was making her mouth water. Even Seijuro's weird toppings smelled good, though Gou had no intention of trying them. She'd end up killing some poor plants with her bad breath.

Closing the oven door, Gou stepped back and looked to the timer ticking away on the counter. Any minute now.

After the chaos that had been created in the pizzeria, the hosts had sent them home with their creations and instructions on how to bake them. It had been left up to them to finish the process. Normally Gou would have protested eating pizza for dinner but considering how much work they had put into it she would be damned if she wasn't going to eat the blasted thing. She was fairly certain Iwatobi felt the same way and so she hadn't protested about them indulging either. Even Seijuro, Mr. Diet Guy, had agreed to it, saying, "I suppose its okay to eat stuff like this every once in a while. We've been getting plenty of exercise lately anyway. Maybe I'll add a few extra exercises to make up for the calories…"

Gou grimaced a little. The Iwatobi boys would not be happy about that. Nagisa might even cry if he found out.

The timer went off, startling her, and she hurried to get it out of the oven. It was perfect. Utterly perfect. If there was one thing Gou could pull off right it was obeying instructions. She had diligently timed the thing like it was her homework or something.

"Is it ready?" Seijuro's voice drifted to her from the living room from where he was going over the notes she had taken from their second training day. It was the first time they had been home together since then and he finally had a chance to look over them.

"Yep!" She got out plates to allow the pizza to cool for a moment and then set about creating slices. Amazingly she was excited about trying this pizza. Considering how much pizza she ate due to Goro it was almost unbelievable, but maybe that was because this wasn't some greasy cheap restaurant pizza but something she had created. Well, something she _and_ Seijuro had created. _Half and half._

Seijuro stepped into the kitchen. "Woah, it looks really good."

"Doesn't it?" She pointed to a plate with several slices stacked on it. "That's yours."

He moved to retrieve them and as he did so he drew close to her. "Oh, you know you have something on your face."

"Huh?" Gou looked up from her slicing. "I do? Where?"

"Let me see."

She turned towards him, making sure to place the huge knife she had been using to slice the pizza onto the counter. She lifted her face to look properly at him, but his hand still went underneath her chin and he gently tilted her face up further. Gou's gaze darted to random objects at the kitchen, too embarrassed to stare back at him when he was so close.

"I-it's not something gross is it?"

"You mean like a bug?"

"Don't even joke about that!"

He let out a ghost of a chuckle. He leaned in closer, a mere few inches from her, and Gou's breath stilled. She could feel the flutter of his against her skin. Was he…was he going to kiss her again? Was there even really something on her face?

"Ah, it's marinara."

Gou blinked. "Marinara?" Her eyes widened. Nagisa! He had sprayed both of them when he had been throwing marinara everywhere. It must be a leftover smudge from that. She hadn't even noticed it was there.

Before she had a chance to do anything Seijuro licked the thumb of his hand that wasn't under her chin and wiped away the smudge. "There you go." He released her, turned and retrieved his pizza, and then walked away with it back to the living room, humming lowly.

"A-ah." Gou stood there in a bit of a daze. She touched her face where he had wiped away the smudge. And where she had felt his breath. They had gotten close enough that she had felt it. Just like he had mentioned earlier.

And despite thinking he was trying to kiss her again she hadn't moved away either. Hana's words came up once more. _"You didn't say you didn't like it."_

Gou's hand wandered to her lips then suddenly another thought struck her and she narrowed her eyes. Thank God he had done that before he had eaten his pizza. If he had done that after he had eaten that foul thing Gou might have gotten knocked unconscious or died from his bad breath. Thank God for small miracles.

Heaving a sigh of slight aggravation, Gou grabbed her own slices of pizza and headed to the living room after him, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her to do.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos! Considering how longgggg this fic is becoming I really appreciate it!


	17. Surely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a killer headache that makes me want to die a little but here have this!

Seijuro could never say he was a very excogitate person. Sure, he did put a lot of work and thought into his training, into his swimming, into his dieting, into his leading, but that was _different._ Those were things that needed to be done. Seijuro wanted to win and he wanted his team to win. Because winning was everything. _The fastest swimmer always wins. That’s all._

And that’s what Seijuro did. He got things done. He was a jock and like most jocks he was a doer, not a thinker. Thinking was for the math club, not the swimming club. You lead by your body, by your instincts. You found what you needed to do to make yourself stronger and you did it. Simple as that. You didn’t sit there pondering it for hours on end. That was useless and wasted time that would be better spent practicing. Well, except for Rei. He had a long way to go but that weirdo was somehow managing to balance intense math club type thinking with his swimming. Honestly if Seijuro had just met Rei he would have assumed he was a math club member who just happened to be obsessed with keeping in shape than a swimmer who was obsessed with studying.

Seijruo’s own knowledge was impressive but that was still doing and not thinking. He didn’t sit and ponder different strategies to make himself better. He learned what he needed and then he applied it and pushed himself through practice again and again. There was no better method of improving then through practice.

So Seijuro wasn’t much of a thinker. He was not much of a brooder. He was more of ‘let’s punch our way _through_ the fence’ rather than a ‘let’s find a way around it’. And maybe that was why he was having such a problem now.

He frowned down at the amber colored beer in his glass. Around him the bar was filled with what looked like mostly foreign high school teenagers and maybe some local college students. Swimmers dotted here and there but unlike the last time Seijuro had been to this bar there were other clubs from schools that had come in too so it wasn’t full of just sweaty muscle packed swimmers. There was actually a fair amount of girls running around this time.

It was the night after their fourth day of the training camp. Normally Seijuro would have protested going to the bar but after the training camp had wrapped up Noro had practically begged him, tears and everything, and Nakagawa had compelled him as well. So Seijuro had come along. He hadn’t been spending much time with his swimming members and getting out of the house for a bit had sounded like a nice idea. He had kind of looked forward to getting a drink in order to take his mind off things, and had thought being away from Gou would allow him to clear his head and think about something else.

Except it seemed to be having the opposite effect. When he was away from her all he could think about _was_ her. What she was doing, if he should text her, trying to think up reasons _to_ text her. For someone who wasn’t much of a brooder he had been doing an awful lot of lately and all of it about her. It was awfully pathetic.

This was the problem. Gou was a hard egg to crack. No matter what he did he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. He had tried making jokes. He made physical contact when he could that couldn’t be taken as lustful but sweet instead; like patting her head or standing close to her. Well, _he_ thought it was sweet anyway. He didn’t have a lot of basis to work off of, mostly just teen dramas he had seen a few times on TV and his sister’s girly magazines he had flicked through when he had been on the toilet back home. Not exactly the best places to take advice from but he wasn’t about to go asking anyone. That would be not only embarrassing but dangerous with Matsuoka sniffing about. It wouldn’t take the red head long to connect the dots if he caught wind of Seijuro doing that.

He had even purposely gotten way closer than necessary to wipe that marinara off her face. He had kissed her. He had thought about kissing her _again_ in the kitchen that day but when Gou had not given any sign that she _wanted_ him to kiss her he had bailed out of that thought.

What else was there left for him to do other than to throw himself at her feet and confess to her like some sort of emotionally overflowing sap? _No, no, that’s not an option._ Not only would Gou likely be turned off faster than a candle in a hurricane but his swim team would lose all respect they had for him. He’d never hear the end of it. He’d be known as the sad sorry sap who couldn’t get girls. No, he’d rather commit seppuke than be forced to do that.

So what do you do when an egg just won’t crack? That was the question of the night and so without any other option Seijuro turned it over to his trusty second-in-command sitting next to him.

“Break an egg?” Nakagawa blinked owlishly back at him. “You mean like because you want to eat it?”

_Something like that._ Seijuro wisely kept that thought to himself. “Yeah.”

The other boy scratched the top of his head. “You…hit it harder?” His suggestion sounded more like a question than anything and that made Seijuro really not want to take his advice.

“I know what you do!” Noro draped himself over Seijuro’s shoulder like a human sized scarf. He was utterly wasted and Seijuro quickly moved his knee before the beer sloshing over Noro’s cup got onto him. “When that sunuvabitch won’t crack you just-” Noro made a throwing gesture with his arm towards the floor with such an exuberance he almost knocked himself over. “-smash that shit!”

_Smash it, huh?_ But…smashing an egg like that only wasted the egg, didn’t it? It would be utterly unsalvageable. Not exactly what Seijuro was aiming for. He patted Noro’s hand. “Thanks, Noro.”

“Anytime, man.” Noro teetered into a nearby stool, clutching it like it was a long lost friend of his, and then muttered something about wanting Cheetos.

So maybe asking a bunch of single swimming obsessed boys for advice about girls wasn’t the best route to take. Neither was it for cracking eggs either apparently…

Seijuro didn’t stay long. After the training camp he was tired and he wasn’t finding the bar all that fun. It was loud and crowded, and despite wanting to get out now that he was here all he was finding was that he’d rather be somewhere else. After a beer or two he was ready to go. As he rose from his stool Noro called out to him. “Are you leaving already, Captain?” The other boy was standing amidst a gaggle of pretty girls at the end of the bar. Being a not so bad looking guy, it wasn’t all that surprising Noro would attract such company, although from the sounds of it he never got very far with them.

“Yeah, I’m going to head out. Don’t stay out too late. We have a hosted event tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir!” Noro saluted smartly but Seijuro knew him better than that. Noro may say all the ‘yes, sir’ in the world but both of them knew he wasn’t going to listen

“What is our hosted event tomorrow?” asked Nakagawa.

“Golfing.” Seijuro knew that because Gou had told him earlier today. Truthfully he hadn’t looked at the schedule in quite some time. Gou always knew what was planned for them, whether it be Samezuka or Iwatobi or both, and he had come to rely on her for that. “It’ll be outside so you’ll be in the sun. Try not to drink too much.”

“I don’t think I’m the one you’ll need to worry about.” Nakagawa glanced back over to the drunk Noro and the girls surrounding him. “Sure you don’t want to stay and talk to those girls?”

They were pretty cute. Still Seijuro shook his head. “Nah, that’s alright. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After all there was a girl he was going home too. And somehow that felt way more fulfilling.

 

-

 

The lights were still on in the house as Seijuro walked up the steps and he almost paused in surprise at seeing their golden glow. He hadn’t texted with Gou much - the last one being when he had told her he was going out - and with him being absent he had expected for her to stay at Iwatobi’s place like she normally did whenever he was out. For her to be at the house was surprising.

_Maybe she came back to sleep and forgot to turn off the lights._ Or she had left them on for his sake. That was sort of sweet to think about.

But even more surprisingly was that Gou was not asleep, and when he opened the door she jumped slightly as if he had caught her in the midst of some deep thought.

“H-hey.” For some reason her face was a little red.

“Hey, I didn’t think you’d still be up. You didn’t go to bed?” He didn’t say he hadn’t expected her to be there. She might think he was trying to say he didn’t want her there, which was the _last_ thing Seijuro wanted. Well maybe that was actually Matsuoka finding out and punching him in the face, or losing his race – yes, yes definitely that - but giving Gou the wrong impression that he didn’t want her around was certainly up there too.

“N-no.” The red on her face seemed to have only deepened. “I was…” She looked around the room as if searching for an answer. “Reading.”

“Oh.” Reading, really? There wasn’t even a book within her vicinity on the couch. “Swimming stuff?” he guessed.

“Yes,” she said slowly. “Swimming stuff.”

He couldn’t help but be a little amused by her utter lie. What had she truly been up to, he wondered. From the looks of it when he had first opened the door she had been staring into space. _That seems oddly familiar for some reason…_

He sat on the other side of the couch from her and flicked on the TV, turning it to the weather channel. It was the only station he could kind of guess what was going on without knowing the language. Out of the corner of his eye he could vaguely see Gou moving about in something close to fidgeting.

“D-did you have fun at the bar?”

He shrugged, his gaze locked on the gray clouds with sparks of lightning flickering on the screen that he could only assume meant thunderstorms. “I had a drink or two and left. It wasn’t all that exciting.”

She blinked. “You left after only a drink or two?”

Was she surprised by that? “Yeah. I was tired. I’d rather be here.”

He watched her discreetly out of his peripheral vision for her reaction. Her cheeks, which had returned to white, turned a hint of red once more. She looked away but he still caught the small smile on her lips. She settled further down into the couch, her arms wrapped around his pillow that she cradled to her chest with her head resting atop it as she watched the TV along with him.

So maybe Seijuro was making some headway. Slowly but surely. Because when it comes to cracking an egg sometimes you just have to gently tap it again and again.

 

-

 

It was lucky for the Iwatobi boys that they had a break from the training camp for a day. After two days of it they were fairly worn out, although over those two days Gou had seen hints of improvement from them. Nagisa hadn’t puked again and Makoto had been less sweaty than usual. Slowly but surely they were getting better, and whatever improvements they could make now would help them to be more successful in their races. _Slowly but surely._

_Speaking of races..._ The day before yesterday the boys had briefly discussed what events they would be entering. Gou had not been present but Makoto had spoken to her afterwards about it. All of them planned to enter their preferred strokes for the individual races, with Nagisa and Makoto entering both the 100m and 200m for breast and backstroke, and Rei and Haru sticking to the 100m. In Rei’s case it was a lack of expertise and endurance while in Haru’s case Gou could only assume he wanted to focus strictly on the race where he would be competing against her brother.

It had been she who had informed Haru of her brother’s choice of race shortly after their ocean training camp and the quiet teen had nearly burned a hole through the picture she had taken of Rin during her visit to Samezuka’s practice. For someone who was normally not concerned about winning it certainly seemed like Rin had the uncanny ability to drag out Haru’s competitive side. Why that was Gou did not know, but she still recalled that conversation she had overheard between Makoto and Haru outside on that balcony and she was careful not to ask. She didn’t want to create anymore tension than was already there between the two boys.

There was also the question of participating in the relay, but as soon as Gou had asked Makoto about that he had responded they would decide later and that it was likely a no. The decision of what event they were to enter was not Gou’s to make but despite that she couldn’t help but wonder why they weren’t trying for the relay. Three of the boys had swum in one together before and they had done excellent at it, not to mention how well the four worked together now. There was no doubt in her mind they could do great in a relay and she was rather disappointed that they hadn’t decided to participate in it. _Maybe I can try and change their mind’s later._

Anyway that could wait. They still had a little over three weeks before the competition. They had time to decide. Besides today was golfing, one of the furthest practices you could get from swimming.

They stood in front of the window where they were to get their gear from. A list of golf club handles faced Gou, an array of different colors. Were they supposed to pick their club by color? She really didn’t know.

She wasn’t the only one confused either. “Is this what we’re supposed to be using to hit the ball with?” Nagisa held up the metal golf club like he wasn’t sure what to make of it. “It doesn’t seem very wide at the bottom.”

“It’s called a golf club and it’s not supposed to be wide.” Rei pushed his glasses further onto his face. “Golf is a sport of precision and calculation. It requires following proper theory and formulas that one must-” Nagisa swung his club in a high arc with such a force he nearly fell over. “D-don’t swing it like that!”

“I’m practicing, Rei-chan!”

“That is not the proper way to swing it! Your angle is 20 degrees off and you’re holding it all wrong!”

Gou ended up selecting her club via the length and color of the handle. Her first choice was pink but Nagisa had already nabbed that color so she went with red as her second choice. To the side she noticed Seijuro had selected that color as well but after half a second of hesitation she shrugged it off. Even if they had the same color there was no way the two of them would get their clubs confused. Seijuro’s club had to be double the length of her own.

They had been split into groups of six via the bus seating in order to fit into the golf carts they were being given and therefore it was the whole of Iwatobi and Seijuro in their own group. Not a bad set up for them and Rin was in a group far enough back that hopefully he wouldn’t see them too much.

They moved off to their golf cart once everyone had selected their club, the host encouraging them to get started so there wouldn’t be too much of a backup of students waiting for others to finish before them. The golf cart consisted of two seats in the front – one of them being the driver’s seat - two in the middle, and two on the backend facing the opposite way.

Seijuro wasted no time in declaring himself the driver. “I’ll drive!” He immediately clambered into the driver seat.

Rei frowned at the other’s exuberance. “Do you even have the proper driver license to be operating such a vehicle, Mikoshiba-san?”

“It’s a golf cart!” the Samezuka captain exclaimed. “What kind of license would you even need to operate it? It’s just like pushing around one of those carts at the grocery store or driving one of those mini hot wheels things.”

“I don’t see how that is similar at all-” The rest of Rei’s sentence was disrupted by Nagisa pushing him into the middle seat.

“Let’s go, Rei-chan!”

“I-I’m sure it will be fine.” Makoto smiled. “Mikoshiba-san must know how to drive, right?”

Seijuro turned the key in the ignition. He revved the tiny engine like he was about to enter into a drag race. Makoto’s smile slipped a little bit like water off glass.

_Guess I’ll take shot gun._ Gou did a double take for where her brother was. He had been glaring over earlier as they had been walking to the golf cart, but now he was substantially distracted with the golf equipment and Nitori. Regardless Makoto still stood in the way just in case and Gou flashed him a smile of thanks before sliding into the seat next to Seijuro. Behind her Nagisa and Rei had already piled into the middle, with Rei directly behind her. Hopefully if Rin did look back over Rei’s height would hide her. Makoto and Haru were left to the backseat and once she saw them situated she turned back to the front.

She peered at the wheel in front of Seijuro dubiously. “You really do know how to drive, don’t you?” She really didn’t want to crash into something in a golf cart of all things. Going to the hospital because of an injury due to that would be mildly embarrassing. Come to think of it did golf carts even go that fast? Maybe if a crash was inevitable she would have enough time to just step out of the blasted thing.

“Of course I do!” He moved his foot somewhere below where she couldn’t see and the little vehicle started serenely forward, Seijuro turning the wheel to guide it down the path they were to follow. “My dad taught me.”

Gou’s gaze flickered up to his face in surprise. She couldn’t recall a time before when he had mentioned his family and now that she thought about it she knew absolutely nothing about them. The two of them had never talked about it and while he knew a little bit about hers that was only because her brother was on his swim team and what she had said about her mother when he had questioned her about the pearl ring. Other than that they knew absolutely nothing.

Married and they knew hardly a thing about each other’s families. Such a messed up situation.

“Do you have any siblings?” she asked him, genuinely curious. “A brother?” For some reason she could just imagine him having a brother. They likely wrestled all the time and picked on each other good naturedly.

But Seijuro shook his head. “I have a younger sister.”

“Oh really? What grade is she in?”

“She’s a freshman in high school.”

“O-oh.” In that case his sister must be around her age. Was it creepy he had married someone the same age as his younger sister even if it was accidental? Gou honestly didn’t know and for some reason she kind of wanted to meet this younger sister now too, wanted to see what the younger sibling of Seijuro was like. Unfortunately it was unlikely she would ever get the chance to. Once they got back to Japan they would be divorced right away. It would be weird for her to meet his sibling after that. She was almost disappointed at the thought.

They arrived at the first hole. It was no surprise that most of them knew hardly anything about golf, only having played mini golf in the past. The only one who knew anything about it was Rei, who had studied it once he had found out what they were doing and whose father was quite a golfer himself.

“The goal of golf involves a fine execution of precise timing and mechanics that enables you to achieve the ball’s final destination in as few strokes as possible.” He spread his legs slightly apart in a stance, the golf club in his hands as he prepared to give a demonstration. “The goal of the golf swing is to direct as much kinetic energy as possible into the club head. That way when it comes into contact with the ball all of that energy will transfer to-”

“Timber!” Nagisa suddenly swung his club in a wide wild arc. By some miracle he somehow managed to connect with the golf ball and it flew straight into the air. Gou watched as the little ball bounced on the turf and came to rest about thirty feet from them.

Rei squawked like an indignant crow. “It’s fore! And don’t swing your club like a pick axe! Golf swings require great strategy and preparation!”

“But I’m terrible at that sort of stuff, Rei-chan! And besides I hit the ball anyway!” Nagisa beamed proudly.

“That isn’t how golf is intended to be played!”

“My turn!” Seijuro looked like a kid in a candy store as he made his way to the tee, swinging his club a little precariously.

“Now remember,” Rei began, “the swing starts with the arms moving back in a straight line-”

“Fore!” Seijuro swung his club. It was a hefty swing and after a split second sparkle of muscle ogling Gou looked up for the ball but it was nowhere to be seen. He had missed completely. “Mulligan!” Seijuro swung his club again.

“Golf doesn’t work like that!” Rei burst. “You can’t just say mulligan and keep swinging!”

Not that that stopped Seijuro of course. It took him three swings before he was able to hit the ball. “Well!” He slapped his club against his shoulder like he was carrying a pick axe. “The higher the score the better, right?”

“It’s the exact opposite!”

As it turned out Rei took golf…pretty seriously. Anytime he went to swing it took him nearly five minutes to do so, mouthing calculations and running numbers before proceeding every single time. Nagisa kept chasing after and smacking his ball while the others were trying to tee off, and Seijuro kept calling mulligan anytime he missed, which was a lot.

“That counts as a stroke!” Rei proclaimed when the older male lightly tapped his ball.

“I just tapped my ball!”

“By that logic you could tap your ball all the way to the hole and not count a single stroke!”

The others weren’t doing so well either. Gou was generally terrible at golf, not that she really cared, and while Makoto did alright he got his ball stuck in a sand pit that took nearly fifteen minutes for him to excavate (Haru ended up picking the ball up and carrying it out despite Makoto’s protests that was illegal, the dark haired boy having grown tired of waiting on him). Things only got worse when they came upon a lake next to one of the driving areas. Haru headed for the body of water like it possessed a gravitational pull he was unable to resist and Makoto barely managed to tackle him before he managed to take off his pants.

“Does he always feel the need to get naked around water?” Seijuro asked wonderingly of the two teenage boys grappling on the pristine golf grass.

“W-well, he typically always has his swimming jammers on.” Gou coughed. “He pretty much uses them for underwear.” Come to think of it did Haru own any normal underwear? She didn’t think he did but then again she wasn’t exactly looking. She’d have to ask Makoto later.

Behind them at the holes they had already done were other Samezuka members. Rin was there and Gou caught him more than once watching, a bit of a scowl on his face. That scowl she could only assume was due to the antics of the boys rather than anything she was doing. Seijruo and her weren’t separating themselves from the others, the six of them keeping to a relative group.

Until they got behind a hill that hid them from Rin’s view anyway…

“You know,” said Seijuro in a strangely suggestive tone as he watched Gou struggle to hit her ball. “If you want I can teach you how to swing better.”

Gou’s face reddened. If he did that he would be hovering over her, arms over hers, hands entwined with hers, their bodies practically aligned against each other. “I-I don’t need something like that.” She struggled to retain her normal complexion. “A-and besides haven’t you been calling mulligan every other swing anyway?”

His face fell as if he had completely forgotten about that. “Oh yeah.” He frowned in consideration and then brightened. “But if I’m only missing half the time then I can still teach you to be half better!”

“I don’t think that’s how it works…”

She managed to get her ball in after what seemed like twenty swings, a pretty pathetic number considering it was supposed to be a Par 4. Not that it mattered. They had quickly given up try to keep track of any score whatsoever. The only one who had any idea about that was Rei about his own score. “Do you have any other siblings besides your brother?” Seijuro asked as they finished at that hole and headed back to the golf cart.

She shook her head. “No. It was just brother and I.”

“Did you ever want a sister?”

She laughed a little at the thought. “Maybe one time when brother wouldn’t allow me to put bows in his hair but no, not really.” Rin had been all she had needed when she was younger. He always used to reach out a hand to her. Not anymore though. “Do you have any other siblings other than your sister?”

“Nope, she’s the only one. And more than enough. She keeps me busy when she wants to.”

“Did you ever want a brother?”

He made a noise that sounded almost like a guffaw. “Funny thing about Samezuka. The swim team, we all live together, we eat together, fight together, do stupid things together. We cheer each other on, cry together when we lose, celebrate when we win.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “If that doesn’t count as brothers than I don’t know what does.”

His answer surprised her a bit although it was not all that hard to imagine now that she thought about it. Samezuka was a boarding school. The boys were essentially around each other twenty-four seven. It was no shock they would form such close bonds especially in the absence of their blood families.

Was that what Rin had been seeking when he had decided to attend Samezuka shortly after his arrival home from Australia? Seeking something he couldn’t find at home, something he had lost perhaps. Something he didn’t know how to get back.

“Something wrong?” asked Seijuro.

“N-no, sorry. I was just…thinking.” She studied the golf course stretched out before them. By the looks of it they still had several more holes to go and she had lost all desire to keep playing. She looked towards Seijuro. “Do you want to go get a soda?”

He raised his eyebrows and Gou instantly regretted the invitation, thinking he was going to snub her so he could keep playing mulligan golf. She was about to take it back when he exclaimed, “Do I?!” He threw his club in the air, allowing it to clatter to the ground in a gesture of total abandonment. “Let’s go!”

“Y-you can’t just leave that here!” She dashed over to retrieve the thing. Knowing her luck the host would think it was _her_ club and Gou would end up having to pay for it. _I’d_ make _him pay for it._ They were married after all. Any fiscal responsibilities or errors had to be shared between the both of them. Or at least that’s how she assumed it worked.

Seijuro opted to take the golf cart and proceeded to do so by simply announcing to the others he was taking it. Haru and Nagisa were ready to go, the former being uninterested in golf since the get go and the latter ready to move on to something else to enjoy with everyone. Makoto was reluctant to leave their hosted event simply due to the possibility of them getting in trouble for it but caved in fairly easily. The only one who really wanted to stay was Rei who was quickly overruled.

“You take golf way too seriously,” Seijuro informed him, starting up the little golf cart. “You might get an aneurysm if we let you play any longer.”

“Do you even know what an aneurysm _is_?”

“Something bad I imagine.”

Rei spluttered but Nagisa solved the situation by pulling the taller boy into the seat and practically into his lap. “Let’s go, Rei-chan!”

Seijuro started the golf cart and moved onto the pavement path, speeding past the next hole.

“This is dangerous!” Rei complained of the present…seating arrangement Nagisa and him were in. Nagisa meanwhile looked as happy as a clam. “What if we crash! The velocity at the speed we are going at will cause-”

“I’ll hold onto you, Rei-chan!” Nagisa wrapped his arms around the other boy’s waist to demonstrate.

Rei’s face turned as red as his glasses. “T-that isn’t what I meant!”

Gou pushed her hair out of her face and leaned back into her seat, enjoying the feel of the wind against her. They may get in trouble for doing this. They weren’t going to leave the golf property so they weren’t technically stealing the golf cart but they certainly weren’t using it for its intended purpose. Then again…she glanced at the faces around her. Rei was red as a rose and his face scrunched up like he had eaten something sour trying to fight his smile. Nagisa looked so happy he might start drooling and beyond them she could faintly see Makoto smiling gently whilst chatting with Haru. Seijuro’s smile was so big she might have thought it had just been announced he had won the swimming competition before it had even happened if she didn’t know any better.

And maybe Seijuro did have a point. You couldn’t choose your blood family but there was another type of family you could choose. Their happiness and excitement made any trouble they might get into worthwhile.

But anytime she had a good thought like that it was instantly shattered by the fact Rin was absent when he should be here. She didn’t understand what he was doing by excluding himself or why. For the time all she could do was provide support to the boys in the hopes they would be able to change her brother back. They were the only ones who could. She had always thought and to this day she still believed that.

Surely they would be able to.

_-_

Back at the house Seijuro scowled mildly down at the sheet of paper in his lap. It was his swim team members’ statistics compiled by Nakagawa. Numbers that his vice captain had painfully spent time calculating and assembling to give to him, and Seijuro couldn’t even concentrate on it enough to give it the effort it deserved. He still had to choose the relay team and time was ticking, but he just couldn’t focus. He was way too enthusiastic, too animate to concentrate properly.

In the end after their little escapade with the golf cart they scarcely managed to not get into trouble or caught for their little joyride. To get back to the meeting place on time for departure had involved some sketchy driving on Seijuro’s part and the bumpy ride had everyone bouncing crazily in their seats like popcorn in a hot pot. Gou and Nagisa laughed uncontrollably at the jerking and jolting and Makoto and Haru had to cling desperately to the golf cart lest they get bucked off, although they too seemed to have enjoyed their haywire adventure once they stopped. Haru didn’t laugh, not that he ever did, but there was a small smile on his face the likes of which Seijuro didn’t think he had seen on the stoic teen before.

Going off on their own had been a good idea in more ways than one it seemed. Just the fact Gou had extended the invitation to him – to _him_ and not one of the Iwatobi boys with him coming along just like some sort of add on – had his mind wandering to other more exciting things than swimmer numbers.

_I really don’t want to work right now._ But he _had_ to. He was the captain of the swim team. If he didn’t have his act together than the whole swim team would suffer. Sighing he forced himself to focus on the paper like he was about to set it on fire.

Not that it mattered. A few moments later, right as Seijuro was finally getting his mind to focus correctly, Gou plopped down on the couch next to him, so close her knees brushed against his thighs. “You’re not busy are you?” she asked innocently.

“Nope!” He said the word automatically. _Damn._ Well, his decision for the relay could wait. There were more important things going on. Not that he even knew what she wanted to ask him about. “What is it?”

“I had a few questions about the training camp for the days coming up.” She held up two papers that must be their schedules. “I’ve been looking over the schedules. For the next two days we have swimming days and free days interchangeably. We have a swimming day tomorrow and then yours is the day after that.” She lowered the papers. “So did you want to wait those two days before going ahead with the training camp? That’ll be three days without it including today. If you want to do it on your free day we won’t be doing it together of course…”

As if. Seijuro shook his head. “We’ll just wait. It’s fine if we miss a day or two.”

“A-are you sure? I mean if you want to do it on your free day-”

“No, it’s fine. We thought it up together, right? Half and half.” Something flashed across her face he was unable to identify. “So we’ll do it together. That’s the way it should be.”

She digested that for a moment and then she smiled. A full, thankful smile. Like earlier when he had paid for her soda. “Okay.” She flopped down on the other side of the couch, across his pillow, and pawed at a nearby magazine to go through.

Seijuro watched her out of the corner of his eye, smiling a little himself. Having her nearby was nice. Lately they had been closer physically to each other than they had been since that night at the bar. It was a nice sign to see, something that signified they were back to square one, and perhaps could continue forward. It was a far cry from just a few weeks ago after their accidental marriage anyway. Seijuro may have shot himself in his own foot but at least now it looked like it was healing.

Slowly but surely.

_Surely._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rei's golf play inspired by Quagmire from Family Guy who tends to lose it when he plays golf (a short video can be found on youtube if anyone is curious). He just seems like the kind of guy who would take golf super seriously.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and commented! I apologize for how long this darn fic is taking.


	18. Winning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This went through so many rewrites it's kind of embarrassing and I stayed up way too late working on it when I have to be early for work but it's finally, finally done!
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who has commented, bookmarked, or left kudos! You guys make this long fic totally worthwhile!

Gou stood in the heat radiating and dusty street shop, staring with a twitching eyebrow down at the rows upon rows of uncountable amounts of the specific item they had come here for. Dolls. Dolls everywhere. Dolls sitting on racks in each row, dolls hanging from the ceiling, dolls sitting on the floor. Dolls to the right, dolls to the left. Dolls in glass containers like they were fine jewelry, dolls in plastic cases, in boxes and bags. Dolls with ribbons, dolls with curls, dolls with glass eyes and yarn eyes. Dolls that were made of plastic, or wood or cloth or ceramic.

Her lip arched up as she looked over them. When she was younger she had had dolls. Many dolls and in fact she still had one to this day, her favorite one she had held onto regardless if she were in high school and supposed to be too old for them. However those old dolls of hers had been cute and cuddly and nice to look at. The majority of these dolls on the other hand were just weird looking. If she stared at them for too long they gave her goosebumps.

"Are you sure this is what your mom really wants?" Gou fought a grimace. "They're kind of creepy…"

"Oh, trust me, I know." Further down the row they stood in Hana picked up a doll. She peered intensely at it before setting it down. Gou shuddered at the mere thought of touching one. It made her feel like she was desecrating some evil artifact that should never be touched.

"My mother loves these things." Hana moved to peer at some others. "I can't stand them myself - I think they're creepy too - but she collects them like crazy. You know how excited she'll be if I bring her one from another country?" She leaned away from the dolls she had been pawing at. "Anyway let's keep looking. Remember, the creepier the better!"

"S-sure." Gou kept her arms and hands pressed close to her body to make sure she didn't touch anything. She didn't want to accidentally brush up against one and end up with worst luck than she already had. _There might be curses stored in these._ She sighed. If she had known this is what they would be looking for she might have rethought coming along with Hana to shop for souvenirs on her free day.

_Maybe I should have gone with the boys._ They had decided to spend their free time on the beach with some light volleyball and Frisbee play, wanting to do something physical but not overly draining to keep up their exercising stint. They had even talked about possibly renting a gaming system for the lodge later that night to indulge in.

Gou had thought about going along with them but considering what they were doing she figured she would have felt like a fifth wheel. She was in no way out of shape but she wasn't exactly physically inclined either. Any volley ball side she was on she would have drug down and it was likely she would have ended up just sitting to the side watching them in order to not do so. Not the most fun thing to do.

So she had opted to go out with Hana instead. _Maybe I should have seen what Ama-chan was doing._ Although if she wasn't mistaken she had seen the teacher walking off with Goro somewhere this morning. What the two were doing she had no idea and she wasn't about to text them. Not when they were out together like that. _Could it be they're on a date?_ Or were the two just spending time together because they were the only adults they knew here? Gou didn't know and while she knew it was none of her business she couldn't help but be curious about it. What with their subtle flirting at all. _There really is something in the water here._

It took twenty minutes for Hana to finally settle on a selection. The doll she chose had a big smile that was more sinister than friendly, a mop of curly red hair, and oddly orange colored eyes. Gou was relieved when Hana shoved the thing into the paper bag the store clerk gave to her so she wouldn't have to look at the thing.

"That just leaves my brother." Hana peered about the multitude of shops lining the street they stood on. "He'd want some kind of sports stuff. Let's look for that."

Good. Something normal. There was no way a baseball bat or basketball could be creepy.

"What are Yuko and Yuka doing today?" asked Gou. She had hardly seen the other two debate team members since the night they had gone out to the bar. Most of the time she would see them for a minute or two when she went to meet Hana at their lodging but the two girls had already been absent when Gou had gone over this morning.

"They went to check out the mall."

Gou nearly stopped in her tracks at the statement. Going to the mall seemed like it went have been a better place to go shopping then here... "You didn't go with them?"

Hana shook her head. "It's too far and too expensive. Besides, this kind of stuff feels more authentic, you know?" She veered to the side to head into a shop filled with electric gadgets and other such toys. "I'm pretty sure they're just going to check out boys anyway." She grinned at her. "That's something you wouldn't be interested in though, right? Being married and all."

Gou rolled her eyes. Her accidental marriage would have nothing to do with her being uninterested in checking out boys. She was surrounded by boys _constantly_ for God's sake, why would she need to actually _try_ and seek them out? "You…you didn't tell them about anything did you? I mean Yuko and Yuka, about the marriage."

"No, no, I didn't." Hana peered up at the wall that was covered in cheap mesh tennis rackets, as if trying to avoid Gou's eyes. "I did tell my sister though-"

Gou's mouth dropped. "Hanaaaaaaa!"

"It's fine, it's fine, don't worry!" Hana stepped back and held up her hands with a laugh. "My sister is away at college remember? She doesn't even _know_ you guys and even if she _did_ tell anyone else they wouldn't know who she's talking about anyway. So it's okay if she knows."

"But still! I asked you to-"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But I just had to tell _somebody_! I mean it's not every day that your best friend gets married-"

"By accident!"

"I know but it still counts, right?! So I had to share it with at least one person! Trust me, its fine, don't get upset about it. She's not going to tell anyone and like I said, even if she did no one is going to know who she's referring to. It's fine, really."

Gou's grimace did not slide off. Her eyebrow was ticking a little bit again. "She won't tell your parents?"

Hana guffawed through her nose. "Heavens no, why would she do that? Besides I doubt my parents would believe her besides."

Gou glowered at the ground. She wasn't particularly happy about Hana telling somebody but it could be worse. She had been smart enough to tell someone who was far away and not even remotely involved in the situation. At least there was nothing Gou could think of offhand that would lead to trouble with Hana's older sister, who was a world away, knowing. She couldn't blame Hana for needing to tell at least one person either. She would have wanted to do the same if she were in Hana's position.

"Speaking of which what's Mikoshiba-san doing today?"

"They're swimming." Gou poked at a mini electric helicopter. It whirred its propeller halfheartedly but did not rise.

"How are things going between you two?"

Gou shrugged. "Same old, same old." She hadn't seen him much yesterday or today. She had left early for Iwatobi's swimming yesterday and he had come home late from whatever he had been doing for his free day. Gou knew because she had still been awake when he arrived. Despite going to bed at a decent hour she had been unable to sleep and oddly had only been able to get relaxed when she had heard him come home, even if she hadn't gone out to see him and they hadn't spoken at all. Just having him there in the house seemed to make her feel more at ease for some reason. Maybe because she was not used to sleeping there with him absent. That had to be it.

"Is it weird living with Mikoshiba-san by the way?" asked Hana. "I mean since he is a boy and stuff…"

Gou shrugged again. "Not really. Maybe at the beginning it was a little but not anymore. We've worked it out nicely." _He even went so far as to give up his bedroom to me._ Gou still felt kind of bad about that no matter how many times he told her it was okay. It wasn't very fair to rob him of such a comfortable bed and make him sleep on the couch. She had given up trying to switch with him though. Anytime she had brought it up before he had insisted she take the bed.

"Have you ever caught him…doing things?"

The way Hana said that gave Gou pause. She stared blankly at the other girl.

"Y'know…" Hana glanced around them as if making sure no one else was close enough to see them. Then she proceeded to make a jerking motion close to her crotch. "That."

Gou nearly planted herself face first into the wall of cheap tennis rackets. "H-Hana!"

"What?!" Hana squawked. Was her face turning red? "I'm being serious! I mean he's a teenage boy! At his age he's bound to be doing that sort of thing, right?!"

" _Why_ would you even want to know about such a thing?" Gou's face was turning just as red as hers.

"Well, I mean you two _do_ live together. I figured you must have seen _something_ at some point. You are there all the time."

"I am _not_ over there all the time! I'm over at Iwatobi's place a lot too!"

"But you're over there a lot more, aren't you?!"

Gou couldn't argue with that. But for Hana to be thinking about such a thing was unbelievable! Gou certainly wasn't so gullible to believe Seijuro _wouldn't_ do such a thing while they lived together - not for three months anyway – as he was a guy and at the prime age to be doing it quite often. That didn't mean she was _trying_ to see him doing such a thing and she doubted he would ever want her to catch him in the act either. That…that would just be _mortifying._

"I-I'm pretty sure he does it in the shower." Gou wet her lips. "And I've spent nights over at the Iwatobi lodges instead of there, s-so he's had…alone time." _Oh God I can't believe I'm having this conversation._

Hana's sudden gasp made her jump slightly. The other girl's hand was nearly covering her mouth. "D-do you think he's done it in the bed you've been sleeping in when you're not there?!"

Gou's face reddened more. "W-what is _wrong_ with you?! Don't put images like that into my head!" _I still have to sleep in that bed after all!_ Hana just didn't know when to quit. It was natural for her to be curious especially since neiher of them had been involved in any sort of extended contact with boys outside of their siblings and now here was Gou _living_ with one. But still! Thinking about Seijuro masturbating. Masturbating in the bed she normally slept in one of those nights when she was away. _Surely he wouldn't do such a thing…_

Then again the bed was the most comfortable spot in the house. Maybe on one of the nights she was gone, on his back with his hand down his pants or maybe he slept naked when she wasn't there. He seemed like the type who would do such a thing. Or in the shower standing up with the water coursing down every finely shaped muscle and curve, the extra exertion making him pant and legs quiver slightly and-

Gou ran into a display full of books.

"Are you alright, Gou?"

"I-I'm fine." Gou swallowed around her throat which was a little too tight. _Good thing it was nothing breakable._ If it had been breakable and expensive she might have landed up in jail or been stuck working there for days to pay for it. "And it's Kou!" She bent down to retrieve the books she had knocked out of the shelf.

"Your face is awfully red," Hana observed. "Were you thinking something perverted?"

"No, I wasn't!" She tried not to let her face get any redder even though she could feel it like a hot flash. "And neither should you!" _Especially not about Seijuro._ If Hana wanted to have dirty thoughts about other boys Gou didn't care but _not_ about Seijuro. The thought of Hana thinking those sorts of things about the Samezuka captain intensely irritated her in a strange way.

Hana ended up buying a baseball mitt for her brother and was blissfully distracted paying for it as Gou calmed down sufficiently enough for her face to return to its normal hue.

"Can I ask you something?" said Hana once they returned onto the open street.

"Haven't you already asked enough?!" Gou huffed.

"No, well, I mean, it's…kind of an odd question."

Her hesitation made Gou pause. Hana wasn't the type to be hesitant. If anything she was the exact opposite. For her to be hesitant meant it was something even _she_ was shy about. "What?" she growled warily. If this was another thing about Seijuro…

Hana fiddled with her hands. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then leaned in close to whisper. "H-have you ever watched porn before?"

Gou closed her eyes. _I should have known it was going to be something like_ that _._ The color rose in her face again. " _Why_ are you asking that?"

"B-because." Hana crossed her arms slightly, rubbing the upper area, gaze wandering to anything but Gou. "I'm just…kind of curious about it." Her gaze switched back. "So have you?"

Gou sighed. Well, it wasn't like Hana was actually teasing her this time. This was very genuine. "No. Have you?"

"I haven't." Hana dropped one arm to her side. "But I kind of want to. J-just to see what it's like. I mean I've seen stuff in the movies but that's all fake. I've never seen what it's actually like."

Gou's face was definitely red again now. "Are you saying you want to see it?"

"A little. Don't you? I mean just to see what its like."

Gou was unsure whether _it_ was in reference to porn or _it it. Well, I guess they are kind of the same thing._ Did she want to? She had never really thought about it before. It wasn't exactly an activity one would bring up to do with their friends and even the thought of watching such a thing at home where her mother might catch her made her want to die a little. Or her brother, in which case _he_ would want to die. No, watching porn at home was way beyond her scope of bravery. But if it was a private place where no one would know about it? She would be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit curious.

"M-maybe," she confessed. "But just to see what it's like! That's it!"

"Me too." Hana tapped a finger against her lip. "I wonder if my brother has some lying around I could steal when we get back."

Gou rolled her eyes skyward. Hana had the worst ideas in the history of ever.

"Or maybe you could steal some from your older brother," Hana continued.

Gou choked a little on her own spit. _I take it back. She was saving the best for last._ "A-absolutely not!" There was no way _in hell_ she wanted to talk about any...adult materials her brother might have. She didn't even want to _think_ about that. Ugh. "What else do you need to buy?!" she said much too loudly. "A pocket watch for your dad?! Flowers for your mom?! Class?!"

Hana giggled. "Oh Gou, you are too cute."

* * *

If Gou was honest with herself, and she tried to be, she became more than a little curious about what her and Hana had talked about whilst walking down that market. She hadn't thought much about porn before. Anything she had heard about the subject had mostly just consisted of an off the cuff remark made at school (typically by a boy), followed closely by a string of 'Ew' from the girls and that would be the end of it. But now that Hana had brought it up she was utterly curious about it.

Just like Hana she too had seen sex scenes in movies but that was different and completely fake on top of which. At the worst in movies you might see some nudity but that was it. There were certainly no shots of actual penetration or anything like that. But what was porn that actually _did_ show those things like?

_Has Seijuro watched porn before?_ She couldn't help but wonder about that as she put away some laundry she had done. Surely he must have. He was a boy and older than her. It would only make sense for him to have some sort of dirty material lying about somewhere.

Her eyes glided along the bedroom. _Maybe it's even hidden in this very room._ She tilted her face to look towards the bed. It was the prime location, and she barely managed to prevent herself from going over to it and peeking underneath it. She wasn't sure if Seijuro would be upset that she had raided his porn stash, for lack of a better word, but more so than that she didn't want to invade his privacy too much. Scouring around like some kind of pick pocket in an effort to locate any porn of his was a little too far.

Did guys pack that sort of stuff when they went on long vacations for that matter? Goro had his swim suit magazines but those weren't exactly exceptionally dirty. _I wonder if he reads the articles like Rei does._ Haru's porn had to be easiest of them all to bring along. He just had to turn on the faucet.

_Could there be porn on the TV?_ She highly doubted it but it couldn't hurt to try, could it? She wandered into the living room a bit hesitantly, biting her lip and shuffling her feet. She stood in front of the black screen like it was a black hole. It was a little embarrassing thinking about watching porn in the midst of their living room but this was one of the few times she was there by herself. She fisted her hand. _I must take advantage of this opportunity!_ Seijuro likely did the same thing when _she_ wasn't there after all. It was only fair she do the same.

She reached for the remote with a bit of a shaky hand. _I'll just turn it on for a moment or two and then turn it off. Just long enough to see what it's like._ The worst scenario was Seijuro came home in the midst of her watching. She would have to listen closely for his footsteps coming up the path and keep her finger poised over the power button if she managed to find what she was looking for, that way she could turn it off quickly.

Alas as she flicked through the channels, as she had expected, there were no dirty channels on the basic cable or whatever they had been provided. The closest thing they had was some nature documentary channels and she wasn't about to watch that.

_Well, there goes that idea._ She sighed dejectedly. She had actually been kind of looking forward to seeing what it was like…

The sound of the door opening made her jump. She nearly launched the remote away from herself but stopped at the last second. She hadn't actually been watching anything incriminating. Even though she had been intending to if she had managed to find it, which luckily she hadn't. _So much for hearing his footsteps coming up the path…_

"Hey." Seijuro came through the door.

"H-hey." Gou tried to ignore what might possibly be sweat streaking down her temple. "Y-you're home early."

That wasn't true at all. It was actually rather late for him to be getting back.

Seijuro shrugged and dropped his bag near the end of the couch. He stretched his arms over his head. Gou stared a little too unabashedly, fingers tight around the remote she clutched. _Such amazing pecs and oblique's._

"We finished up swimming a while ago," he said, not that Gou was paying much attention to his words. "I stayed a bit later to get in my own swimming time but not too long. I have plans for the evening."

Now those last few words _did_ catch her attention. "Plans?" Could it be the bar again? She frowned a little.

Seijuro looked to the TV where Gou had stopped on some random channel. The people on screen were currently doing some weird little dance in their underwear while having what looked like orange Kool-Aid thrown at them. "You're not watching anything are you?"

"N-no, I couldn't…find anything." Well, that wasn't a complete lie.

"Oh, good." A mischievous smirk curled his mouth. "You can come along then."

"Come along?" She blinked. To the bar? But if they got drunk together again there was no telling what would happen. They couldn't get married again but there were certainly other stupid mistakes they could do.

But Seijuro didn't say the bar. Instead he said, "To the Iwatobi lodges."

Her brow furrowed. "The Iwatobi lodges?"

"Nagisa invited me. They're playing video games apparently."

"He did?" Nagisa hadn't invited her. Or had he assumed that by inviting Seijuro she would come along as well? Her hands tightened around the remote she still held, knuckles turning white. _That little…_

"So you're coming, right?" asked Seijuro.

The annoyed at Nagisa part of her wanted to say no but the way Seijuro asked stopped her. She had never thought about it before but maybe it was just as hard for him to invite her along as it was for her to invite him. His usual cocksure personality, self-assurance, and lack of embarrassment wouldn't have made her think so but maybe extending that offer made him just as anxious as it made her when she had asked him to go get a soda during the golf game.

And that made any notion of her saying no melt away completely. "I-I'll come."

He grinned like the tallest kid in a basketball match. "Good. I'm going to take a quick shower first. We can leave after that."

"O-okay."

He moved past her towards the bathroom, shedding his shirt over his head as he went and giving Gou a completely open view of his muscled back. Gou dropped the remote. With a mild curse she bent to pick it up. _Damn you, Nagisa._

The worst part of all was she seemed to be proving Nagisa right.

* * *

Two days later Gou sat in the hot sun, her notebook in her lap and sweat beading on her forehead. _I should have brought a hat._ She fanned her miserably hot face. If it were this bad for her she couldn't imagine what it was like for those who were actually participating in the camp. Regardless none of them had been complaining, not even Nagisa.

Wiping a hand across her forehead, she peered at the notebook splayed in her lap like it was going to predict her future. Across its white pages was her many, many notes. Notes about the competition the boys would be facing that she had been compiling. She had been working on the data for a while now but today was especially important for collection. Because today was the last day of their training camp.

Lowering the notebook, Gou looked up towards where the boys were doing their exercises. The number of participants had increased dramatically the last two days. In addition to a few other Japanese schools there were now also schools from Hungary and South Africa on top of the Germans and Chinese who had come along before. Even with the training camp drawing to a close there were those who were eager for some sort of guided practice to fill in their free time away from the pool.

And it was giving Gou a great opportunity to observe. The competition that is. Not just their rippling sculpted muscles. Heavens no. That was just a bonus. It was unfortunate she wasn't able to observe them swimming and that she was unable to determine what swimming event they would be participating in by sight alone but getting their names or swimming style when possible was helpful. She ran her pencil gently along her paper, shading in one of those bonuses she couldn't help but sketch.

Their days for today and yesterday had been completely devoted to the training camp. With the camp winding down everyone wanted to get as much time in as they could. It had been starting earlier and ending later, nearly going from dawn till dusk. Everyone, even herself who wasn't participating, was utterly exhausted by the end of the day but it was well worth it.

_Whatever we can get._ She stretched her arms over her head.

While their days were filled with the training camp the nights on the other hand had been spent with her and Seijuro going over to the Iwatobi lodge, where they would spend the evening attempting to beat each other into the ground at video games. Despite not having played video games in quite some years Gou had picked it up fairly well. It hadn't taken long for her, Seijuro, and Nagisa to be battling it out at the racing game the boys had chosen, flinging random objects at each other's racers to knock them off the track and attempting to knock each other off cliffs. There had been more than once when Gou had pushed – or at least tried to push - the laughing Seijuro over when he had managed to knock her racer off course, and he had only made it worse by moving back and causing her to practically fall into his lap. Nagisa had taken advantage of their distracted teasing to send Seijuro's racer plummeting straight into a canyon, making Seijuro exclaim in protest, and Gou ended up coming in last place because she was laughing too hard to properly play.

At least she wasn't as bad as Rei. For some reason he was a lost cause when it came to video games. Whenever he had attempted to play he had spent most of his time running into walls and spinning in a circle. He was utterly inept at understanding the controls no matter how many times others explained it and eventually he threw up his hands and gave up.

Surprisingly it had been Haru who proved to be the exceptional player. He had consistently placed in the top three, leaving the others to battle each other out in the midst of the pack of racers while he glided serenely along at the front.

After playing video games for a while they had had all dinner together too, courtesy of Amakata with some help from Makoto and Rei in the preparation. The teacher had even gone out of her way to invite Seijuro – a little _too_ friendly like in Gou's opinion – and Seijuro had been more than willing to accept. And as usual when all of them were together, dinner had been a boisterous affair, with conversations whizzing back and forth, Seijuro and Goro debating swimming methods, Makoto talking quietly to Haru, and Nagisa routinely taking things off Rei's plate to Rei's protest. In other words it had been barely controlled merry chaos.

The highlight of the evening had been when Nagisa had leaned too far over for the wasabi and had plummeted straight into a bowl of udon noodles that splashed everyone. Poor Nagisa had been so covered in the sauce he had to go change his clothes. Rei had gone with him to 'help', and even though he had whined about it and scolded Nagisa Gou knew it was just because he liked it. It wasn't like Nagisa needed him there to change his clothes after all…

And Seijuro. In the midst of her wiping off the sauce that had gotten on her, he had leaned over and cleaned her face with his own napkin. He had done it so nonchalantly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be doing such a thing. He hadn't even broken off his conversation with Goro as he had done the action.

His close proximity and the somewhat intimate touch made Gou utterly freeze and her face to heat up. For a few good minutes afterwards she had a hard time getting her heartbeat under control and had done her best to ignore the smile on Amakata's face that the teacher seemed unable to contain.

Tilting her head, she watched Seijuro from where he stood at the head of the training camp. He was surrounded by what looked like some coaches and possibly other captains from different countries. She kind of wanted to go over there but she couldn't at the moment. Her brother was with him, most likely helping to translate. She would have to stay away for the time being.

Seeing the two of them together made her sigh internally. The last two nights had been a lot of fun and it had been enjoyable having everyone there together. It would have been nice for Rin to be there too but even if Gou had invited him, which she couldn't do due to the secret marriage, the chances of him accepting were virtually nil. And because they were hiding the marriage Seijuro couldn't invite anyone from Samezuka either. Hiding their marriage had created a separation between Seijuro and his swim team and while he had never complained about it, Gou was sure he would have liked to have both swim teams enjoying such times together rather than having to choose one or the other. They had that one night at the bar before their silly mistake.

She placed her chin moodily in her palm. One day maybe. Even after they got divorced Rin would be in Samezuka so it wasn't like Samezuka and Iwatobi would totally stop associating with each other. Especially if Rin returned to the way he used to be, like Gou hoped he would. She tightened her fingers on her face. _I really hope the boys can bring him back to the person he used to be._

By the time they started to wrap up it was late afternoon. "Good job, guys!" Gou handed out water to them. "You guys look like you're doing great! Looks like you've improved quite a bit!"

"It does feel that way," Makoto acknowledged. He took a swig from his bottle. "I don't feel as tired as I did when we first started."

"It'll certainly be nice to see how this will reflect on our swimming times," Rei agreed. "When is our next swimming day?"

Gou flipped open her notebook to double check. "The day after tomorrow. We have a hosted event tomorrow."

"What event?" asked Nagisa. He brightened. "More cooking?"

"Or wine tasting?" asked Rei.

Gou almost snorted. After what had happened between him and Nagisa the last time they had done a wine tasting she wasn't surprised he would like to do another one. "The hosts would have to be out of their mind to schedule another of either one of those after what happened last time. It's a memorial we're going to. The Thulile memorial."

"Another place where they likely beheaded a hundred people." Makoto grimaced. "How lovely."

They gathered up their stuff to get ready to leave and as they did so Gou noticed they were absent a member. "Where's Haruka-senpai?"

"He went to the bathroom." Makoto looked over towards the building that contained the bathrooms for the beach. "I think he wanted to wash up a bit. He should have been done by now though."

The boys were still finishing packing their stuff. Gou was the one most free at the moment. "I'll go check." She headed towards the building. "You guys finish up here."

The entrance to the men's bathroom was curved enough that Gou couldn't see directly into it. A good thing since she wasn't exactly eager to see Haru's more…intimate parts. She did enjoy ogling his muscles but that was as far as that went. She hesitated at the entryway, listening intently for the sound of running water, but only silence greeted her. Could he have left and she had somehow missed him when coming over here? She was just about to call for him when another voice stopped her.

"Why did you come to this competition, Haru?"

Gou's mouth froze halfway open. Her brother? There was no way she could get his voice wrong but why…

The sound was coming from around the corner, at the back of the building, and Gou went to look. She halfway rounded the corner and instantly drew to a halt, nearly skidding in the dirt underneath her feet. Rin was there and Haru was with him. Hastily she scrambled to get back out of sight. She ducked against the wall around the corner from them. It was a measly way to hide but she didn't have much choice. If she was lucky they would stay out of view and not come around the corner. Thankfully they hadn't seen her either. Haru's back had been facing towards her and Rin had been looking away when she had peeked.

But what the heck were they doing? Since Rin's return from Australia she had never seen her brother interact with Haru once, much less have a conversation with him. Something was definitely going on. Were they trying to work things out perhaps?

"The others wanted to," Haru answered Rin's previous question, tone impassive. "They thought it would be a good way to earn money."

"And you?" Rin pressed. "I know you don't care about money. So why did you come?"

There was no sound forthcoming but Haru must have shrugged or something, for Rin continued, "What have you been doing these last three years?"

Once more only silence. No response from Haru came.

"You're better than this."

"I'm not better than someone who's been in Australia," Haru responded at last and Gou stiffened.

That seemed like the wrong thing to say but surprisingly when Rin spoke next his words were not irritated. "Are you mocking me?"

"I'm not. You won our race."

"It'd be hard not to beat you considering the condition you're in."

"A win is a win. You won. Isn't that enough?" For the first time Haru's tone differentiated from something other than impassive. A hint of irritation crept into the last words, like a streak of red in black.

Rin responded to that irritation in turn. "It's not!" He shouted. "I want a real race!"

Gou's hand tightened on the fabric over her knee. It didn't seem like they were trying to work things out at all. So easily the situation had escalated and in a way it felt like there was a bomb being cradled between the two swimmers. A wrong move on either end could cause irreparable damage. Maybe that was why they had been dancing around each other so much for so long. Maybe both of them were reluctant to have that happen so they had been avoiding it.

"Or else." Rin's words were so quiet Gou had to strain to hear. "I can't move on."

Whatever Haru said next was too soft for Gou to understand, but in the next instance there came the sound of his footsteps approaching. "I only swim free." That age old line but this time spoken forcefully and with that same hint of irritation as before. "I won't swim for you."

More footsteps, someone running, and then the loud rattle of the fence separating the beach area from the road like someone had been pushed into it. Were they fighting? Terrified Gou looked around the corner. No. They weren't. They weren't fighting. They were…

She stared. _Are they going to kiss?_

The two were incredibly close to each other. Rin had Haru pressed back against the fence and his arms were on either side of the slightly smaller boy, as if caging him in. Gou held her breath. If this were a shoujo anime than this would definitely be a prelude to them making out or a love confession.

"You're going to swim for me," said Rin. His gaze did not waver from Haru's and after he said that the two stood there staring at each other.

Could that be a love confession? In the world of swimmers it might very well be. Then now, what would Haru's response be?

"In that case." Haru's hand rose. He grasped Rin's arm and with it he pushed the other boy back. "I want you to promise me something." He continued forcing Rin back with purposeful steps. "If you lose don't say you're going to quit." His words were biting. "Don't embarrass yourself. Don't cry if you lose."

From the look that came over Rin's face that was not something he had anticipated Haru saying. He nearly flinched at the last statement and the next instance he yanked away from Haru. He scoffed in such a way that made it sound like he was trying to cover up something. "I'm not a little kid anymore. This time I'll make it clear how different you and I are." He did not wait for a response from Hatu, not that it was likely he would have received one anyway. He turned and walked away. "Keep building up muscle before the tournament. We'll settle things there." He waved a hand without looking back. "Later."

Haru's back was facing Gou so she was unable to see his expression. She waited with baited breath for his response. But in typical Haru fashion his response was to not have one at all. He simply stood there and watched Rin walk away.

A noise to the side made her start and she looked up.

"There you are." Makoto stood at the opposite corner from her with Nagisa and Rei beside him. "Something wrong?"

"N-no! N-nothing at all." Swiftly she rose out of her strange position and over to them before they approached her. Haru likely wouldn't want them questioning him after what had just occurred, but more so than that Gou didn't want him finding out she had eavesdropped on that conversation.

"Did you see Haru?" asked Makoto.

"N-no, I didn't." She swallowed. "Sorry."

Makoto hummed thoughtfully in his throat. "He must have headed back then. I'm sure he's back at the lodge or on his way there." He hefted his pack more firmly onto his shoulder. "Let's head back too then."

"O-okay."

They left the building and crossed from the beach area to the streets but when Gou glanced behind the building Haru was now gone. Could he be avoiding them? He might have wanted to go off on his own for a bit, which Gou couldn't blame him for. With Haru there really was no telling, unless you were Makoto anyway.

"Something wrong?"

She jolted a little as Makoto addressed her once again. She cursed mentally at herself _._ He must have seen the signs of distress on her. He may not be able to read her as well as he could Haru but she wasn't exactly as hard to read as the dark haired boy either. "I-it's nothing." She smiled in a way she hoped was reassuring. "I-I'm just tired, that's all."

"Me too! I could sleep for a week!" Nagisa yawned. "When we get back let's watch _Pretty Woman_ again."

"Absolutely not!" Rei bristled. "We've tried watching it three times already! All you do is fall asleep during it!"

"That's _why_ I want to watch it again."

Gou's smile became more natural. Rei and Nagisa provided a good distraction, both for Makoto and herself. Taking a deep breath, she did her best to put any thoughts of Haru and her brother out of her mind for the time being.

* * *

She didn't stay long at Iwatobi. Having Makoto around was dangerous when her mind kept wandering back to what she had heard and while she trusted the other boy it wasn't her issue to tell. She didn't want to go spilling secrets that were not her own and she didn't want to come between the two childhood friends. If Makoto was to find out then it would have to be because Haru had told him himself.

Haru was the other reason she had made a hasty exit. He was not at the lodges when they got there, not that she had expected him to be, and Gou had left quickly so as not to experience an awkward encounter when he did return. Makoto would know best how to deal with things when Haru did return, if Haru wished to take that route, so Gou beat it before she happened to accidentally make things worse.

Seijuro wasn't home either when she got to the house, which was just as well. It gave her sometime alone with her thoughts to digest what she had learned without being distracted.

Something had definitely happened between Haru and her brother, as she had suspected. What exactly it was she was still unsure. Something long ago maybe? It didn't sound like it was something recent, and as far as Gou knew the two hadn't seen each other much since Rin had left for Australia. Makoto and Nagisa hadn't even known Rin had been coming home for the holidays when she had informed them about that.

Whatever had occurred, it still haunted her brother for whatever reason, and his way of moving forward appeared to be beating Haru.

Winning again.

It all came down to winning.

And Gou was starting to get the impression that there wouldn't be anything she could do to resolve the situation no matter how hard she tried. _This is something beyond me._ Something she couldn't touch no matter how she reached because she hadn't been there. She wasn't involved. And that for some reason was slightly depressing.

By the time Seijuro got home Gou was stretched on the couch, grasping his pillow and staring morosely at the wailing TV.

"Hey." Gou glanced at the clock. "You're home late."

"Yeah, sorry. The other coaches and captains invited me out for a drink and I really couldn't say no." He stooped over to peel off his shoes.

"Ah." Surprisingly Gou wasn't bothered at all to hear he had gone out drinking. It was a far cry from the first time he had gone out and she had stayed up fretting until he got home. "The Jurrian again?"

He snickered. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's the main bar to be at here."

Of course it was. Gou snorted softly. The Jurrian. That old place of sin and bad decisions. What a place.

Seijuro took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Are you watching this?"

She shook her head. "I just had it on for background noise."

He took up the remote and flickered through the stations, and as he did so Gou returned to her prairie eyed stare. Regardless of her thoughts earlier she couldn't help but feel a bit sullen about the situation. Thinking she couldn't do anything about it didn't make her feel better but worse. If Rin lost to Haru in the upcoming race, would he be this way forever? Unsatisfied and discontented, bordering dangerously on the edge of constant anger, seeming to be lacking something that she had no idea how to fulfill? She really hated thinking like that.

"Something wrong?"

Gou blinked. Seijuro was looking at her. So he had noticed too, huh? Then again when did Seijuro _not_ seem to pay special mind to her? "I-it's nothing. I was just…thinking."

"Swimming stuff?"

An old joke now. She smiled a little. "Sort of. It's just…" She struggled to find the right words without telling him explicitly what was going on. "Is winning everything?" She asked instead. "Is that all that matters?"

He raised his eyebrows at the strange question. It was a long moment before he responded. "For some people I'm sure it is," he said, rubbing the side of his neck. "I mean if you don't win then what's the point?"

So that's how it was. Maybe her brother was one of those people. Maybe winning really was all that mattered to him. "What about you?" She raised her eyes to his face. "What do you think?"

Seijuro frowned a little. "I don't know if I'd say winning is everything…however." He tilted his head to look at her directly. His eyes had gone from their normal melted gold to harsh amber, and his visage smoothed out into that sternness Gou recognized as his captain's look. That face he must wear right before he was about to start a race.

"I would be lying if I said it isn't the most important thing."


	19. Adapt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for how long this update took. I got about halfway done with this chapter when I realized I only had half of it planned out so I spent about a week derp derping trying to think of something that would add to the story and wasn't just nonsense. Hopefully I managed to pull it off.

Gou had never considered herself a very picky eater. Sure there were some things she disliked and there were things that sounded just plain weird (like clam chowder – why in God's name would you put milk in soup?) but she tried to keep as open a mind as possible and made an effort to try everything at least once before placing it on her disliked list. But this. This was too much.

"Cap'n Crunch's Punch Crunch?" Gou stared down at the cereal box in her hand. The usual Cap'n Crunch character she had seen before was pictured on the front however the pink hippo standing next to him with long eyelashes and a sailor suit of all things was new. "Artificially flavored fruit punch cereal?" She blinked a few times to make sure she hadn't read that wrong. _Who in their right mind…_ "Nagisa, where in Heaven's name did you get this?"

"Aren't they good?!" Nagisa leaned over the backrest of Gou's seat, stuffing the pink rings that Gou could only guess must be the cereal that came from the box she was currently holding. "I found them at the store the other day. They were half off."

_Gee, I wonder why._

Seijuro leaned over to look. "Fruit punch flavored?" His face scrunched up. "Nothing about that sounds natural at all."

"I don't think _there is_ anything natural in these." She flipped the box over to read the ingredients. "These things are nothing but sugar!"

"But they're healthy for you! See?" Nagisa pointed to some writing on the front. "It's fortified with B-vitamins and iron."

"They're likely talking about the box these things came in!" She twisted to the window next to her, debating if she should toss the cereal out through there. _Better not._ If the box happened to strike a car there was no telling what could happen and Gou really didn't want to push her luck. She stuffed the thing inside her bag instead, making a mental note to throw the nasty stuff out the first chance she got.

Like the others Gou hadn't eaten this morning but she wasn't hungry enough to try eating this sort of stuff to quell her hunger. She had the strong feeling this sort of cereal didn't fit into their diet regiment either.

At least the others had brought stuff that was edible. Like the day of the cooking when all of them had been too tired to get up early enough to eat a proper meal, so instead they had brought along various items to eat on the bus ride over to their planned event. Most of them had picked foods that would fit into their diet regiment, except for Nagisa's strange cereal, and they had been passing around the stuff to share amongst themselves. They weren't the only ones who had thought of such things either, as further down the bus Gou could see a few of the Samezuka members doing the same.

Well, after the training camp it was no wonder nobody wanted to get up earlier than was absolutely necessary and of course their hosted event had required them to meet at the bus stop early in the morning. It would be nice if the hosts switched the timing of the events to the afternoon but Gou had a feeling they wouldn't. They would be stuck with having to get up early no matter what it seemed.

Seijuro held a packet of dried fruit out to her. "Want some?"

She took it from him. "Thanks." Something healthier at least, not that it was hard to get healthier than that cereal. Even if she didn't need to diet like the boys staying on the same food regiment as them would make it easier by not providing temptation and eating healthy was a good idea anyway. She was finding she really didn't miss any of that bad food either. _Although some chocolate would be nice…_

"This ride is taking quite some time." Rei munched away at some cashews as he peered through the window. "How far away is this place exactly, Gou-san?"

Why he thought she would know such a thing she had no idea but even Seijuro was looking at her expectantly. Maybe it was because she was the only one who seemed to have any idea about their schedule and their hosted events? She blew air through her teeth. _This is my job as manager._ To be organized and keep tabs on everything so the boys could focus strictly on swimming and not worry about anything else. _I'm a glorified babysitter._ And when the heck had she become responsible for Samezuka too anyway?"I'm not sure offhand. I think the host said it was about forty five minute drive?"

"The longer it takes the better," muttered Makoto. He slapped his hands against his thighs. "Why can't they pick something nice for us to do? Like a flower garden or something. Something that doesn't involve people dying at least. First the history museum then the temple and that ship with their boogeymen-"

"The aquarium was nice," Haru interjected.

"I hope Rin-rin doesn't punch anyone again today," said Nagisa.

"A flower garden would surely be beautiful." Rei's eyes were strangely bright. He clasped his hands underneath his chin. "Or maybe even a butterfly garden!"

"Why don't the hosts have us do something like that, Gou-chan?"

"How should I know? Why don't you ask them?" Gou grumbled. "And it's Kou!"

"I hope we're getting close," said Seijuro, returning to the original topic. He stretched his arms over his head and moved his legs almost fitfully. "I'm getting sick of being in this seat."

_That was true_. For Gou sitting in the bus seat wasn't exactly like lounging in a recliner but it wasn't that bad. Seijuro on the other hand was much too big. His legs were too long to stretch out properly and staying in that restricted position for long was surely uncomfortable. Makoto and Rei likely suffered from the same problem, maybe even Haru too. Not so for Nagisa. He was hardly much bigger than Gou.

She peeked around Seijuro's frame to the seat across from them. Haru had been pretty quiet this morning, although it couldn't be said that that was unusual. The boy was normally quiet, and if his silence this morning was due to what had happened with her brother yesterday or just Haru being Haru she couldn't say.

Had he told Makoto what had happened? Makoto didn't look any different than usual and he wasn't acting any differently. She could only assume that for whatever reason Haru hadn't told him what had occurred.

So she was the only one who knew, and if Haru hadn't told Makoto than it was pretty clear he didn't want anyone knowing. In which case she had better keep it to herself.

She leaned back in her seat with a slight frown. They were traveling along the cliffs that made up part of the coast and through the window the ocean stretched out before them. The water was smooth as glass save for the places the wind caused it to ripple, and while it was a nice view if Gou looked at it too long she found her eyelids would begin to droop. She stifled a yawn and leaned her head against the cool glass.

Despite staying at the house and sleeping in Seijuro's bed, she hadn't slept well last night. Her mind had been too active, too busy going over and over again what she had heard yesterday and what Seijuro had said.

_Winning is the most important thing._

She glanced at the tall boy out of the corner of her eye. He was looking straight ahead, arms lightly crossed over his stomach, and didn't notice her glance. He was likely too preoccupied with his discomfort to pay much mind to her at the moment.

What Seijuro had said last night, that was the way he truly felt. He had no reason to lie to her about such a thing and his expression, his directness when he had said it made it perfectly clear. Winning may not be the only thing but it was certainly the most important. Maybe that was why he was at Samezuka and why he was willing to leave his family in order to attend the boarding school.

Gou couldn't imagine doing such a thing. To wake up in a place that was a dorm instead of a house, to a place of white walls and open drafting stairs versus enclosed coziness and familiarity. She couldn't imagine waking up everyday without her mother there nor could she imagine leaving her mother alone.

But Rin could. He had left them once to go to Australia. Then upon his return he had left once again to attend Samezuka.

What was he seeking exactly at those places, she couldn't help but wonder. What was it he needed in order to move on? Was it really simply a matter of winning, of becoming the best? Was that why he needed to win against Haru? In Rin's eyes Haru must be the person who was the ultimate competition, the one who was the best. Perhaps he thought that if he managed to defeat Haru then he would be able to defeat anyone.

Gou frowned harder. That line of thinking seemed almost too simple though. If Rin and Haru had not had a history she might have believed that, but considering their old friendship and how close they had been it made it hard to think Rin wanted to beat Haru over such a simple reason as him envisioning Haru as the very best. Surely there had to be more to it. But what?

The bus gave a sudden lurch and Gou moved her head away from the window at the unusual movement. Maybe it had been some weird formation in the road, except the bus proceeded to do it once more a moment later. There came a spluttering sound from the engine.

That didn't sound good. She stretched up to try and see better over their seat.

"What's going on?" asked Nagisa.

"Engine trouble it sounds like," said Rei.

Gou watched as the bus driver shifted the gear stick next to him. The bus lurched again and more spluttering sounded, and from above his head the bus driver reached for his radio. He chattered into the thing but whatever he said Gou was hopeless to understand. The bus had slowed down considerably and as Gou watched, the bus driver, with many looks behind him to make sure it was clear, carefully pulled over onto a clear patch off the side of the road against the side of the cliffs.

"Did we just break down?"

Without a word to them the bus driver got out of his seat and walked off the bus.

Behind her the Samezuka members were chattering in curious wondering tones. Some of them started to get out of their seats, hesitantly trying to see what had caused the sudden stop.

"Seems like we might have," Seijuro muttered. He half stood to turn to the rest of the bus. "Calm down! Stay in your seats! It's just a little engine trouble!" He glanced Gou's way. "I'll be right back." He stepped off the bus, following after the bus driver who now stood at the front of the bus near the engine.

Gou stood upright in her seat in order to see them better. Ahead of them the second bus had pulled over as well, the host and other bus driver exiting and approaching Seijuro and their own bus driver.

_Should I go out there too?_ Then again it wasn't like she could understand the bus driver and even if she could she didn't know the first thing about engines. She'd likely just end up being in the way. She sat back down in her seat.

"It looks like you may have gotten your wish, Makoto-senpai," said Rei.

Makoto spluttered. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I didn't want something like this to happen!"

"The spirits don't want us to go!" Nagisa shook the backrest of Gou's seat like he was trying to revive it. "The spirits aren't at rest!"

Makoto's face started to turn that weird shade of blue. Beside him Haru raised his head as if some sixth sense of his had gone off. "It's just some engine trouble, Nagisa," he deadpanned as Rei scolded Nagisa to sit back down.

It was only a few minutes before Seijuro stepped back into the entryway of the bus. "They're telling us to come off."

"Are we broken down completely?"

"They're not sure yet but it's probably going to take a while. Having us off is just a precautionary measure." He raised his voice to reach the other occupants on the bus. "Let's step off in an orderly fashion now! Don't cause any trouble!" He motioned for Gou to come to him before the others could haphazardly disembark and possibly bowl her over, although the swimmers politely waited for her to go first anyway.

The occupants of the other bus were still on board. She could see them moving around in their seats, watching inquisitively through the windows. She spotted her brother looking over the head of Nitori who had the window seat and carefully she distanced herself from Seijuro, not that it was hard as he immediately went back to standing near the engine with the bus drivers and host. The rest of them fanned out along the patch of open ground they had pulled over on, settling down to wait.

"What do you suppose they'll do?" Nagisa's hand inched towards Gou's bag and she slapped the appendage away before he could snag the cereal. They had gathered a few yards away from the side of the road and were watching as the bus drivers and host discussed their predicament. "You don't think we'll have to walk there will we?" He shook and rubbed his smarting hand.

"Highly unlikely." Rei pushed his glasses further onto his face. "We are on a cliffside road after all. It's doubtful there are walking paths all the way down and we're probably still too far to be within walking distance anyway. It's most probable that they'll summon a replacement bus."

"That'll take a while." Makoto frowned in the direction of the second bus. "I wonder if they'll send the second bus on ahead so they're not stuck waiting too."

That would be sort of nice if they did. Then Gou wouldn't have to worry at all about her brother and could be around Seijuro as much as she wanted. She blinked and shook her head slightly. That had been a strange thought.

Several minutes went by as they waited for the host and bus drivers to figure out what they were going to do, and Gou was in the midst of debating if she should cross the highway and toss the fruit punch flavored cereal over the edge of the cliff when the host announced their decision. The one bus was completely broken down and repairs would be impossible in their current situation. They had sought to get a replacement bus sent out to them but unfortunately as there was no replacement bus immediately available, they would be forced to use the one bus in the meantime. A replacement bus would meet them at the memorial site for the ride back but for the rest of the ride _to_ the memorial…

"They want _all_ of us to fit on one bus?" Gou's jaw hung open. "Is that even possible?"

"There was some extra room on the second bus if I recall correctly," mused Rei. "However quite a few of us will still have to sit three to a seat I imagine." His forehead creased. "I hope the bus driver is planning on driving slow."

Gou grimaced. The second bus. The bus her brother rode on. She would be rding on the same bus as her brother with Seijuro. _Oh God I hope they don't try and have us_ _sit in our assigned seats as usual_. If Rin saw her squished up in a seat with Seijuro the last thing on his mind would be his rivalry with Haru. She might as well fling herself with the cereal over the side of the cliff in that case.

"I-I'm sure it will be fine." The smile on Makoto's face was awkward and not reassuring at all. "I mean after all it's not your fault, right?" He let out an uncomfortable chuckle.

"You're going to get them into trouble if you keep doing that," pointed out Haru and Makoto stiffened.

Gou sighed. There was nothing to be done about it. She resigned herself to her fate and got in line to clamber onto the second bus.

"Who wants to sit on my lap?!" Seijuro shouted upon stepping onto the bus walkway, his fists raised in the air like he had just scored a field goal.

Someone – the one named Noro if Gou guessed correctly - yelled back in a high mock feminine voice. "Ohhhh, I do, Captain!"

"Best put on your finest skirt then!" Seijuro's voice was way too loud for such a small space. "You know how I like it!"

"No panties, sir!"

Gou shut her eyes. _Ladies and gentlemen, the man I'm married to…_

Nagisa, Rei, and Haru were lucky and somehow managed to get their own seat, and Makoto sat with two Samezuka members directly across from the aisle from them. As for Gou…She wasn't so lucky.

"I can't believe this…" Rin was wearing one of the ugliest scowls she had ever seen, hands fisted in his lap. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Gou perched precariously on the edge of the seat. One side of her was squished against her brother and on the other side poor Nitori was squashed against the window. Between them was the compressed and scowling Rin.

"Don't blame me," she sniffed primly. "I didn't break the bus down."

It wasn't like Gou had much of a choice where to sit. Outside of Seijuro she didn't know any of the Samezuka members well enough to want to sit practically pressed up against them and Rin would have thrown a conniption fit besides if she had. Even if she had sat next to Makoto or Nagisa, people he was on generally good terms with, it would have made him unhappy. So she had gone with the lesser of all those terrible choices. Not that it meant Rin had to be happy about having his little sister sit nearly in his lap.

"I-it isn't so bad, is it, Matsuoka-senpai?" Nitori struggled to paste a smile on his face. "I mean Matsuoka-san is Matsuoka-senpai's dear little sister-"

"This is the worst," Rin declared. The scowl hadn't lessened on his face.

Gou rolled her eyes. On one hand she could understand how having the only girl on the bus sitting squished next to him and that girl being his little sister could make it a tad embarrassing for him, though he was being awfully melodramatic about it. "It isn't for that long. Just relax. It's not like I had much choice."

"Why do I have to get stuck with you sitting here?" he continued to gripe.

Someone muttered under their breath, "I'd let her sit on my lap."

" _What did you say_?!" Rin launched to his feet so fast he knocked Gou into the seat across the aisle from them, who thankfully steadied her without accidentally touching her inappropriately considering Rin was nearly foaming at the mouth.

The boys around them flinched away at the explosive reaction as if a dangerous creature had entered their midst, which wasn't entirely that far from the truth. Rin looked ready to maul somebody.

"That's enough!" Seijuro barked from further down the bus. "Show some respect, you goons!" His hard gaze flickered Rin's way, who was trying to assist Gou upright once he realized what had happened. "And _sit down_ , Matsuoka!"

"Captain, how come we don't have a cute manager like they do?" someone asked lowly.

"Shut the hell up, Noro."

Rin looked absolutely mortified as he helped Gou back into their seat. "Sorry. I didn't mean to…I wasn't thinking…"

_Clearly not!_ She took a deep breath."It's fine, it's fine, don't worry about it." She pressed a hand over her heart, eyes rising to the ceiling as she tried to regain her bearings. If Rin acted that way off one comment alone then how he would react if he found out about her and Seijuro's accidental marriage? _I'll die. Seijuro will die. We'll both die._ Maybe that myth about married couples tending to die together wasn't such a myth after all. Maybe because they all had murderous brother's. _My imagination is running away with me._

They settled into their seat a little more blissfully than before, at least blissful in the sense that Rin was no longer complaining about their seating arrangement. It was definitely far from comfortable and Gou could tell her leg was going to hurt after all the weight she was putting on it to keep herself in the seat.

In some respects the seating arrangement was helpful in a way for it had distracted Rin from Haru's presence. Her brother had not paid the slightest bit of mind to the dark haired boy since they had entered the bus, a good thing considering what had happened between them yesterday. Seeing each other so up close and personal after such a thing was bound to make anybody awkward and tense.

She glanced behind herself. The Iwatobi boys were not paying them any mind now that it was peaceful. Nagisa was keeping them adequately preoccupied.

Gou faced forward in her seat once again. Her hand tightened on the fabric over her knee. Questions were bubbling at her throat. Rin assumably wouldn't like her poking around in his business, especially something as personal as his relationship with Haru, but she hated to think the friendship they had had become utterly ruined and unsalvageable. Because if it were than getting the old Rin back would be just as unsalvageable. "Brother." She spoke the words hesitantly. "Do you…dislike Haruka-senpai?"

Rin did not turn to her at the question. He kept his gaze facing straight ahead, his face unusually stiff. His lips barely moved when he spoke. "Why are you asking that?"

"I was just…wondering." She couldn't tell him about what she had heard. At worst he would get mad. At best he would be irritated at what he perceived as her snooping and therefore intruding on his business. Either way he would assuredly not be happy about it and Gou didn't want to do anything that may further damage their already precarious relationship. "You don't hate him, do you?"

Across the seat Gou could faintly see Nitori listening quietly but intently. She was getting the impression the slight boy was more observant than he let on. Maybe that was why he could be around Rin for so long without getting discouraged from Rin's acrid personality.

Rin took a long moment to answer. "You shouldn't worry about things that don't concern you," he said shortly.

Just as she had thought. This truly was something that was out of her reach to fix. She sank dispiritedly into her seat. Things may have stayed that way for the entire rest of the trip except Rin suddenly said, "What the heck is that?"

"Huh?"

"That. In your bag."

She looked down. "Oh. It's cereal." She pulled the box out to show to him. "It's fruit punch flavored, see."

"Fruit punch flavored?" He pulled back as if the box were highly contagious. " _Why_ are you carrying that around in your bag? Don't tell me you're eating that shit. It looks radioactive."

"Heaven's, no," Gou laughed. "I confiscated it from Nagisa. I'm fairly certain it's mostly made out of plastic." She turned the box over thoughtfully.

"I think plastic might be healthier for you than that shit." Rin's upper lip curled. "I'm amazed Nagisa hasn't died from all the weird things he eats."

That was true. Especially after all those salt water drinks Nagisa had drank. _Maybe he has an iron stomach._

"You shouldn't curse so much, Matsuoka-senpai," Nitori cautioned. He leaned over Rin's lap to look. "Oh Cap'n Crunch's Punch Crunch! I used to eat that when I was a kid." He reached out for the box however Rin's hand encircled his wrist, effectively stopping him before he could reach it.

"Nitori, when we get back to the lodge we're going to have a long talk about proper nutrition."

"O-of course, Matsuoka-senpai."

"And you." Rin turned intensely to Gou. "Don't tell me you're still not sleeping."

"N-no." Well, last night she hadn't slept well. Impeccable timing for that to happen the day she had to sit so close to her brother. _Of course._ "Why?" She tried to sound innocent. "Do I look tired?"

"No," said Rin, much to her surprise. "That's why I was asking." He released Nitori's wrist with a slight start, seemingly having forgotten he was still holding it. "You look less stressed then you did a few weeks ago."

It took her a moment to process what he meant and then she smiled. "I _am_ less stressed."

"Did something happen?"

"N-no. I…just got used to things, I guess." She smiled again. He would think she meant the country which was fine. She couldn't exactly tell him the truth anyway.

Rin eyes becoming unusually shadowed. He opened and closed his hand, as if missing something he used to have a grip on. "Haven't we all," he muttered.

And like her own statement, Gou had an inkling her brother wasn't referring to the country either.

* * *

It was true that anyone could get used to just about anything but the history of this country was not one of them. The Thulile memorial, as it turned out, was a memorial to all those the country had sacrificed in the past. Sacrificed to the Gods no less.

"What were they sacrificed to the Gods for?" asked a hapless Samezuka member.

"Oh for good crops, rain, harvest, fertility, protection from storms! All sorts of things!" The host smiled cheerfully as if they were discussing ice cream flavors than the sacrifice of human beings. "Back then the people were _very_ superstitious! They believed that sacrificing a young virgin male was the most potent of all sacrifices-"

Next to Gou Makoto squeaked and took a sharp step backwards. Gou peered over to where Seijuro stood, wanting to see if he had taken a step back as well, but he wasn't even paying much attention to the host. She grit her teeth.

"-followed by young virgin girls."

Gou quickly took a step back as well.

"Being selected as a sacrifice was considered a very great honor! Whenever a sacrifice was selected there would be days of celebration! They would have huge feasts with lots of dancing and alcohol! Every time a sacrifice was made it was considered a holiday!"

"How charming," Rei muttered.

"Each sacrifice would have their name carved onto their own piece of stone as a way for the people to commemorate their noble contribution. These stones were thankfully preserved and eventually this park was created to function as a memorial for them." The host handed out some pamphlets to them. "As you walk through the gardens please pay close attention to the stones that can be found on the main pathway. These are the stones that preserve the names of the deceased."

_Like a tombstone._ Gou shuddered. How morbid. Was this supposed to be a garden or a graveyard?

The main pathway was a brick one that looped through the memorial with several smaller paths stemming off it. At the entrance they could choose whether to go left or right down the main path and Iwatobi was in the midst of discussing which way to go when Haru took off down the left side, effectively ending the discussion and forcing the others to follow him. Most of the Samezuka members went to the right with only a few going the same way as Iwatobi, although none of them were members Gou recognized well enough. None of them were certainly her brother anyway or Seijuro. He would likely go right to stay with the majority of his teammates. She tried not to feel disappointed.

"This memorial is actually quite beautiful," commented Rei approvingly. That it was, especially considering its dark history. The park was covered in green grass and the brick pathways were lined by flowering trees and bushes. The memorial stones were placed at separate intervals along the pathway and at the first one they stopped.

"This one has the name Brandr Issaku on it," Gou read from the pamphlet as they were unable to read the language on the stone. "He was sacrificed approximately three hundred years ago. He was seventeen years old. He was killed by-" She blanched. She closed the pamphlet with a slap. "W-well that part isn't important."

"Impalement," said a Samezuka member nearby who was reading from the very same pamphlet and Gou turned large wide eyes in his direction. Thankfully Makoto hadn't heard him.

They detoured off onto a side path for a bit to get away from the crowd. The pathway was shaded by arching trees that almost made it feel like they were walking down a long hallway. It was incredibly serene, unlike most of their other hosted events, and Gou was glad for the reprieve. After what had happened with the bus it was nice to get some relaxation. The boys seemed to be in the same mindset too. Haru was being his usual docile self, content to walk by Makoto and quietly observe their surroundings without making a fuss. Even Nagisa was complacent, dutifully following after Rei when the taller teen spotted some butterflies on some flowers off to the side and promptly went to investigate.

"Do we have more swimming coming up?" asked Makoto as they walked lazily along. "We're getting close to the first competition now."

"A little over two more weeks," said Gou. "And we are, I think. I believe the hosts are going to open up more pools at the universities for us to use or something so everyone gets more practice time." They had better. Iwatobi needed all the practice time they could get.

"Good." He paused for a brief second to admire some purple flower hanging from the branches above their heads. "Every little bit helps. Goro will be happy to hear that." Some sort of sound or movement must have grabbed his attention for he turned around to look back the way they had come. "Looks like we have company."

The way he said that made Gou turn as well, worried it might be her brother returning to argue with Haru some more. But it wasn't Rin. Instead it was Seijuro walking up the path towards them. "Yo," he said, greeting them in his usual casual way.

"Captain Mikoshiba," Makoto replied pleasantly. "Nice to see you. Something's not wrong, is there?"

"Nothing in particular." He glanced around them. "This pathway just looked nice."

Gou's brow furrowed a bit. Had he followed them? That didn't seem probable. Her brother was sniffing around after all.

"Sei-chan!" Nagisa waved enthusiastically from where he stood next to Rei, the darker haired teen leaning over a bush like he were studying it. Seijuro turned to return the gesture and as he did so Makoto resumed walking down the path, Haru just beyond them having paused as he waited for Makoto. Makoto flashed Gou a smile on passing her and Gou blinked. What was that about?

"You're going this way, right?"

"Huh?" She blinked back to Seijuro. "O-oh yes."

He settled in to walk beside her. Ahead of them the Iwatobi boys coalesced together, however they were keeping a fair distance from Gou and Seijuro, like they were trying to give them privacy. For some reason Makoto still had that smile on his face and Nagisa was giggling. Gou narrowed her eyes. _They're doing this on purpose._

"Everything alright with Matsuoka?" Seijuro asked after a moment.

Ah. This must be why he had come over here. She knew it had nothing to do with it being a nice pathway _._ "Yes, he was just…" She searched for the words without giving away what had happened between Haru and Rin. "A little tense." She tried to smile comfortingly but in reality it probably looked more like a grimace.

"I see."

Was he worried? It was hard to tell. He was somewhat in his captain mood, face expressionless and words rather clipped, lacking their usual exuberance, but why she was unsure. Maybe because of what had happened on the bus. Those words sparked a thought though and she looked up at him. "What swimming event will you be participating in by the way? I know what boys are racing us in our events but you've never mentioned what you plan to race in."

"The 200m free."

"Don't tell me you're another one that only swims free?"

His face relaxed and he gave a short laugh. It was slightly relieving to see. "No, it's just what I'm best at. Freestyle is my preferred event."

"Is the 200 the only event you'll be doing?"

He nodded. "I prefer to focus on one thing that I know I can win rather than attempt several different things that I don't have such a certainty of winning. Others are different but that's how I like to do it."

_Because winning was what was most important_. Just like he had said. His logic followed that belief and his confidence in him winning his preferred race was so absolute too. She had to admit even she was impressed by his self-assurance. "Whatever got you into swimming anyway?"

"Talent."

She rolled her eyes, a sound of half amusement and half exasperation ushering out of the throat. A flush of heat crawled up her skin at the grin he shot her way. "You know what I mean."

"I know, I know." His expression smoothed out, becoming almost pensive. "I lost to someone."

"Lost to someone?"

"My first race." An ironic smirk curled his mouth. "He beat me so easily, soundlessly, almost effortlessly. Watching him do so made me realize something and after that I wanted to win no matter what."

She hummed thoughtfully. "He must have been quite the swimmer."

Seijuro's smirk morphed into a strange small smile. "He was back then. But now…Now I'm not so sure."

They came to the end of the small offshoot walkway and were returned once more to the main path. There were a few of what looked like Samezuka members scattered about – in regular clothes it was hard to tell and Gou could only guess by their builds and ages - but a quick assessment of them revealed her brother was not in the immediate vicinity. "But don't you miss your family?" She stayed next to Seijuro's side since the area was deemed safe. "I mean living in the dorms like you do. You don't get to see them very often do you?"

He shrugged. "I see them fairly often. If we're a while away from a competition I'll go there for the weekend sometimes or late in the evenings after practice. I took my sister to the movies the weekend before we came here in fact. It isn't so bad."

"But don't you miss them after being away from them so much?" she prodded, still feeling unsatisfied even after hearing his answer.

"Sometimes." He stopped to look at a carved stone they had come upon, his eyes darting over the letters of the name carved there as if trying to read them. "But people can get used to just about anything, can't they?"

Gou twisted the pearl ring on her finger, suddenly more aware of its presence on her hand than she had been for quite some time, Seijuro's words reminding her of the conversation she had had with her brother on the bus.

A tree covered in white flowers stood near the carved stone, the stone that bore the name of its poor sacrificed victim, a name none of them could even read. The name of someone who likely didn't deserve to die. Someone who might have had a family that didn't want them to go but whose family got used to them being gone once it happened regardless. Or maybe one of those family members had blamed themselves for their death or held onto some ill begotten guilt about a dream that person had been unable to fulfill, and had spent the rest of their lives hating themselves for it.

Gou went over to the tree. From its lower branches she plucked some of the pretty white flowers and brought them over to the stone. She placed them around the name none of them could read.

"Yeah," she said softly.

* * *

That conversation with Seijuro made Gou miss home more than usual but it didn't come into full fruition until she was in the midst of changing the sheets and the wave of nostalgia hit her like a freight train. It was strange how sometimes the most simplest of tasks could bring about such feelings and Gou found herself missing her mother and her home and her own bed so much she felt a bit like weeping. Most of the time she was so busy that she didn't think about such things but sometimes there were snapshots, moments, flickers of home that made her long to be back where the smells, sights, and sounds were all so very familiar. She had never spent so much time away from home without her mother and that was what she missed most of all.

Since arriving here she had barely spoken to her mother at all. Part of it was the international charges, part of it was because of Rin, but most of it was because of the marriage. It was hard to speak to her mother without the thought of indulging some sort of truth about what happened. Whenever she considered calling the thought of _marriage, marriage, marriage_ ran through her head like a mantra no matter how she tried to banish it.

Not to mention the guilt. Lying to her mother made her feel awful but not lying was much worse. Because then not only would her mother most probably be angry but disappointed as well. And that was much worse than any guilt Gou could ever feel.

Still she had hardly spoken to her mother at all since shortly arriving here. She would surely be getting worried by this point. Gou fisted her hands. _I must call._

It was early evening now. That would make it morning where her mother was. She reached for her phone sitting on the bedside table. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her ugly grey phone in her hand and her legs jiggling as she tried to seal her jitters. It would be fine. She just wouldn't be able to mention too much. About where she lived. Or who she was associating with. Or much of anything. She sighed. Well, she couldn't run from it forever.

She hit the call button and held it to hear. The phone rang once, twice, thrice. Gou's tight hold loosened. Maybe her mother wouldn't pick up. She could be out running errands and forgotten her phone at home.

She was both delighted and frightened when there was an answer. "Hello?"

"Hi, mom." She smiled at hearing the others voice. Even though at the same time she was bouncing her leg rapidly up and down like she were trying to dislodge something.

"Hi, honey." There was a slight cracking with the bad reception but Gou could still hear the delight from the other end. "I haven't heard from you a while! You must be busy."

"Yeah, we have been." Gou made a slightly amused noise in her throat. "Real busy."

"What have you been up to?"

"Oh you know…just this and that." She got up to pace the room, unable to keep still. _Vague, vague, keep it vague. Vague is good._ "We- we did a training camp a few days ago."

"Oh you did?" Her mother sounded enthusiastic. She would know what a training camp was from Rin. Or from their father. "Did your brother participate?"

"Yeah." Gou tried to keep her voice upbeat. "He did."

"Good! He needs to be more social able. I don't think he made many friends while he was in Australia."

Gou's shoulders sagged. That he hadn't.

"Maybe it was a language barrier," her mother continued thoughtfully.

She laughed a little, even though she knew that was absolutely not true. "Maybe."

They talked for a little while longer, mostly about the upcoming competition and other swimming things, like the Germans Gou had accidentally adopted. Safe topics that couldn't get Gou into trouble and she was careful not to mention Seijuro or the storm incident and kept talk about the hosted events to a minimum. They couldn't talk long due to the charges and after about fifteen minutes they had to hang up else her mother would go broke.

Snapping the phone shut after their good bye, Gou gazed down at it in her hand. She felt a little better after talking but that yearning for home still remained. It was a listless feeling, like she just wanted to sit down and hug a pillow and stare into space. She hated that sort of feeling.

She wandered into the living room. Seijuro was there on the couch, hunched avidly over with a controller in his hands, his eyes riveted on the racing game on the TV. He swore animatedly and Gou watched with a touch of amusement as his racer proceeded to plummet off a cliff's edge. The Iwatobi boys had loaned him the gaming system they had rented and since getting back to the house Seijuro had spent the majority of his time playing the thing, swearing whenever he got hit with something or fell off somewhere and letting out loud exclamations that made Gou jump whenever he did well. He was quite set on beating the thing.

She sat down on the couch's arm as on the TV Seijuro's racer was dropped back onto the race track. "Do you miss home?" she asked him without preamble.

He shrugged, not removing his eyes from the TV screen. "Not really." He glanced briefly at her out of the corner of his eye. "Why, do you?"

She frowned. "A little," she admitted.

It must be different for Seijuro. He was used to not seeing his family on a daily basis and he lived in a dorm besides. Not like Gou who was used to seeing her mother everyday and staying at a place that was _home_ rather than a dorm. Being away from home for so long was not something she was accustomed to.

She placed her chin glumly into her palm. She couldn't say that she regretted making the trip. If they managed to win then not only would they have accomplishments to present but that money would help their club tremendously and being here was a good opportunity for them. But she was still homesick. Being in a foreign country away from everything that was familiar and far from a parent was difficult and while it hadn't bothered her much before it was started to now. They had been here over a month and that separation was starting to drag at her apparently. She blew air at her bangs. _This sucks._

The TV suddenly shut off and she blinked in confusion at the black screen. Had Seijuro grown tired of playing?

"Come on." Seijuro placed his controller aside. He rose off the couch. "Let's go out. It'll do you some good to get out and not just sit around here."

She blinked some more. "Out? But don't you want to play your game?"

"I can play it later. Maybe I'll pull an all nighter to get really good at it so I can smash Nagisa into the ground with it tomorrow."

She frowned once more. Pulling an all nighter was terribly unhealthy when they had a competition coming up and she made a mental note to tell him so later when there wasn't a more pressing topic she didn't want to deter from. "Out where?"

"Wherever you want." He stretched his arms over his head. The hem of his shirt lifting up slightly and for a few seconds Gou was awfully distracted by the flash of olive colored skin over a finely muscled lower back. "You pick."

"Hmmm?" Her gaze refocused on his face. "Sorry, what? I pick?"

"You pick."

She narrowed an eye. "Anything? I can pick anything?"

"Anything."

"Anything at all?"

"Anything at all."

She narrowed her eyes further. She thought hard for a moment then she smiled. "Okay."

_This is going to be fun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa's cereal is - or was - incredibly a real thing (the weird research I do for this fic sometimes).
> 
> I'll be going out of a town for a week this upcoming Friday and while I'm planning on bringing my laptop with me I don't imagine I'll be getting much writing done so the next update may take a little longer than usual. My apologies!


	20. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead?
> 
> I apologize for how long this update took! Life has been really hectic lately so I haven't had much free time, and since it's summer my house goes from being just two of us to six so yeah. I need sleep.

Seijuro didn’t always tell the truth. It couldn’t be said that he was a liar per say. He couldn’t recall the last time he had told a bald faced lie and he felt that if you had to do something like lie because you were so afraid of telling the truth than there was a bigger issue at hand then simply telling lies.

So Seijuro wasn’t a liar. A lie is a false statement with the deliberate intent to deceive, something he didn’t believe in. What Seijuro did instead was he omitted information.

When he had first become captain he had learned quickly that while some situations warranted and even required a full indulgence of truth, which could be awfully painful sometimes, others required a certain more delicate approach. Which often meant not always giving out the entire truth, but rather something like a half truth, a half indulgence of information.

The omitting of information was a way to keep things simple, to preserve harmony and stave off drama. Perhaps it could be considered a form of manipulation, but when you were the captain of such a large group of people - especially when those people could be hot headed, hormone infused, teenage male athletes – it required a bit of manipulation and deviousness to preserve peace and stay at the top. In a perfect world full honesty may be the best policy but in reality it could often cause more problems than it solved.

In some situations people should only be told what they absolutely needed to know rather than the whole truth.

So Seijuro didn’t consider himself a liar. He just omitted information when necessary.

So when Gou had asked him about missing his family he hadn’t told her the whole truth. He hadn’t told her that he hated being under other people’s direction and had left partly because of that. That he had left because he wanted to be independent and didn’t want to have to answer to anyone else. Because of the way she smiled at him as they walked along the streets of downtown after dinner. The way her eyes sparkled and cheeks reddened when their eyes met for longer than a few seconds.

He hadn’t told Gou the entire truth. He didn’t want her knowing those ugly facets of his personality, at least not yet. He had only told her what she needed to know because he didn’t want her thinking negatively of him.

He’s always been selfish.

 

-

 

“If you keep smiling like that your face is going to get stuck you know.”

Seijuro didn’t lower his hand from around his chin but his smile did morph into a bit of a smirk. He had thought by hiding some of his expression with his hand and fighting off the smile with sheer will power would make it unnoticeable but apparently not. Nakagawa could be quite sharp and Seijuro was being less careful than usual. He just couldn’t help himself, a natural response to things like the way your leg jerks when someone hits your knee. He dropped his hand, knowing there was no point in trying to hide it now. “You say that like it’s a bad thing, Nakagawa!”

Nakagawa’s brows creased, like he knew Seijuro was happier than usual but was unable to determine why. “Did something happen last night?”

Seijuro twitched a little. Damn Nakagawa. “Nothing in particular,” he stated simply.

Sometimes people didn’t need to know all the information. If circumstances had been different he would have ecstatically, and maybe a bit proudly, proclaimed to Nakagawa what had happened, but as it was he had to keep his mouth shut. Nakagawa was already onto him, like a bloodhound after a rabbit. Nakagawa’s sharpness could be a real pain sometimes.

But the more important question – _screw Nakagawa -_ was had last night been a date? What defined a date anyway? Seijuro honestly wasn’t sure as he had never been on one before and he was fairly certain neither had Gou. He tapped his thumb against the side of his chin. If he asked her out on an _actual_ one – and by actual he meant _explicitly_ stating it was a date because he didn’t know any other way to do it – would she say yes? He was unsure about that as everything else he had invited her on had not explicitly been dates and she may view them in a different light entirely.

Then again things were going great as they were now. Asking something like an actual date so forthright might scare her. Even if when they went out weren’t dates he still felt like he was getting somewhere. _One step at a time._ After all, getting shot in the foot takes a long time to heal, and you certainly don’t start out running on the thing. _Slowly but surely._

His gaze wandered over to Matsuoka. The red head was thankfully in the pool. He was pushing himself hard today, which was saying something because Matsuoka generally always pushed himself hard. It was a little strange considering he hadn’t even joined the swim team when he first entered Samezuka.

_I wonder what he would do if I asked Gou out on a date._ He frowned a little. He imagined Gou’s older brother would not be very happy about it. The marriage was one thing; that had been an intoxicated mistake and Seijuro had no idea what he must have been thinking at the time. It had been unintentional. But asking Gou out on a date would be very, _very_ deliberate and pre-planned. That made it feel different somehow. At least to Seijuro it did. _Not that it’s likely Matsuoka will think the same._

A thought occurred to him then and he wondered briefly how _he_ would feel if his own little sister got married while in another country. _I guess that would depend on who she married._ If it were someone like him… _That would be great!_ Just imagining it, all the fun they could have together, made him excited. Having a brother-in-law who was just like him would be amazing! But having a brother-in-law like Matsuoka? _Ick._

Then again…Matsuoka _was_ his brother-in-law. Seijuro frowned. _Shit._

“Have you decided on the relay team yet?” asked Nakagawa out of nowhere and Seijuro was quick to school his expression into something more neutral and captain like. “It’s getting close now.”

That it was. Most of the other events and who would be participating in them had been announced recently but the relay Seijuro had been delaying. “Azuma, Ueda, Kawamura, and Noro I’m thinking. They’re the strongest of those requesting the relay and they work together well.” Even if Noro had become a drunken hooligan since arriving to this country. His times were still good regardless. Seijuro made a mental note to ban him from the bar from now on.

“I thought that’s who you’d go with.” Nakagawa made a few notes on the clipboard he was holding.

Seijuro hummed in his throat, not paying much attention to his vice caption as his gaze was trained on Matsuoka. The red head had climbed out of the pool and Nitori, who had been sitting almost sullenly by, raced over to hand him a towel.

Nakagawa turned. “I’ll go get things together to get those four entered into the relay,” he said as he proceeded to walk off. “I’ll let them know about it later tonight.”

“Alright.”

Across the way Nitori was speaking loudly and even from where Seijuro stood the smaller boy looked agitated. Matsuoka on the other hand was simply standing there with a towel up to his face, hiding his expression, and while Seijuro normally didn’t like to get involved in personal matters he also didn’t want any tension in his team. Small ripples, if not interrupted, tended to grow bigger until they encompassed the entire pool.

He approached the two boys and called out to them when he was a few yards away. “Something wrong?”

“Captain.” Nitori turned his way almost earnestly. “I just-”

Matsuoka turned the exact opposite way. “Nothing’s wrong,” he stated curtly. He moved off to reenter the pool. He threw his towel dismissively into the air as he did so, leaving Nitori to catch it, and despite how incredibly rude that it had been Nitori still caught it anyway. He clutched the fabric as if seeking something from its fibers.

He turned Seijuro’s way again. “Why didn’t you say anything to Matsuoka-senpai?” His voice was unnaturally high.

Seijuro raised an eyebrow at the smaller boy. Nitori was usually dependable but he had a knack for getting a little too emotional at times. And those emotions, Seijuro was finding, typically revolved around Matsuoka. About Matsuoka or for Matsuoka. Matsuoka hid his emotions almost to a crippling degree – outside of irritation and anger anyway – while Nitori seemed bent on pouring out enough emotion for the both of them combined, as if he were trying to make up for Matsuoka’s lack of them. Maybe that was why the two made such an unlikely pair.

“Why are you so upset?”

But as Seijuro expected Nitori didn’t give an answer; his expression only turned solemn as he lowered his head and looked away. The sound of Matsuoka diving back into the pool drew his attention however and he looked back up. It was a bit strange really. No matter what Matsuoka did he was guaranteed to have Nitori’s full attention. No matter how much Matsuoka pushed the younger boy away, or ignored him, or treated him rudely, Nitori still gave him his full attention.

_I know the feeling._

Seijuro watched Matsuoka glide under the water. “Well, I’m sure he has his reasons.”

There was no response from Nitori. Undoubtedly he was not pleased with that retort but Seijuro would say nothing more.

Because sometimes it’s best to only tell people what they absolutely need to know.

 

-

Gou stared at the landscape as if she had encountered an alien planet. Around her stretched an expansive area of water covered in tall grass, tall grass that resembled more of needles than actual grass, at least to her anyway. Palm trees and other taller vegetation dotted the landscape and throughout the grass streaks of water passed like liquid highways.

She leaned over to peer over the railing of the boardwalk she stood on. The water several feet below was rather dark and grimy, and she could scarcely see anything outside of the grass descending below the surface. _Does anything even live in this?_ Almost as if on cue a flock of white birds flew overheard and a bug landed on her arm. She slapped at it, missing completely, and it flew away with a buzz that sounded almost affronted. So there was life here apparently…Although she didn’t like the thought of what might lurk below the surface.

Off to the side the host was prattling on about the sawgrass habitat – _That explains the weird grass -_ and how it had been decreed into a national park about fifteen years ago. Since then large restoration projects had been going on to restore the sawgrass back to its natural state and the government had high hopes of it becoming a large tourist attraction. _They’re using us as guinea pigs again._

She covered her yawn with her hand. This was their longest hosted event as of yet, encompassing two whole days, with the drive alone taking nearly five hours. They had to be at the bus stop at six AM for God’s sake, which had meant she had needed to be up by five in order to shower, eat, and make sure all her stuff was packed. Packing had taken the longest by far though…

_“Do you really need to pack so much?” Seijuro stared down at the three large bags sitting in their living room as if he couldn’t figure out how they had gotten there. “I thought we were only going to be gone for one night.”_

_“We are only going to be gone for one night.”_

_“Isn’t this a little excessive then?”_

_Gou clutched her purse, which had been stuffed full to nearly the size of a pregnant rhinoceros, that she had been about to add to the pile. “I need all this stuff!”_

_“You packed nearly_ everything _you brought with you!”_

_“I did not!”_

Gou smirked a little. She had packed nearly everything but she wasn’t about to admit that to Seijuro. Granted getting it to the Iwatobi lodges first and _then_ to the bus stop had been a bit of a pain. Makoto and Rei had ended up being her pack mules.

Her head swiveled around to where the others stood further down the boardwalk, listening to the host prattle and peering about the strange area. She had distanced herself a bit, putting some space between her and Seijuro while her brother was around and trying to rouse herself after the long ride they had endured. Unlike the others she hadn’t been able to sleep well on the bus. The Iwatobi boys had leaned on each other to sleep but her attempts of sleeping against the side of the bus had been thwarted by its bumpy path that had caused her head to bump against the glass. Seijuro didn’t look like he had gotten much sleep either, as she caught him awake each time she had opened her eyes and he was yawning just like her amidst the pack of Samezuka members. He hadn’t even had a window to try and lean against.

“The first thing we will be doing today is an airboat ride!” the host said brightly. She gestured at the metal contraption sitting sedately in the water at the end of the dock. It sort of reminded Gou of a coke can that had been sliced in half. It was fitted with seven seats; two rows with three seats each and a lone one furthest back for the guide. But most impressive was the giant fan attached to the back of the thing. The huge fan looked like one of those that were customarily used in factories to provide cooling or maybe on a jet. It certainly seemed out of place on that coke can boat.

“What’s an airboat ride, Gou-chan?” asked Nagisa.

“It’s Kou,” she answered automatically. “And I’m not sure. Something to do with this…boat thing I guess. Why are you asking me anyway?” That seemed like more of a Rei question.

“Because you know the schedule.” Nagisa made it sound like the most natural thing in the world. “Did they not mention it on there?”

They hadn’t. The schedule had only shown they were going to the sawgrass park and hadn’t provided any details.

“What does that boat even do?” Nagisa turned his questions over to Rei. “Does it fly?”

“Improbable,” answered Rei. “What would be the point of that? Besides the fan is in the completely wrong spot for flight.”

“It would be a lot more fun if it flew I bet.”

“It being a water only vessel is completely acceptable,” Haru commented in his usual monotone.

“The airboat will guide you on an exciting trip through the marshes, swamps, mangroves, and cypress domes that exist in our first national park!” chirped the host. She pointed to the boats. “Let’s go ahead and divide up by bus seating for the boat rides!” She beamed a smile in the general direction that Gou, Makoto, and Seijuro were in. “Leaders first!”

Gou grimaced. Already she could feel her brother’s intense gaze on her and carefully she whistled and twiddled her thumbs, pretending not to notice. If she so much as glanced at Seijuro, or accidentally brushed against him, or spoke to him, or breathed near him Rin might pop his top. Gou really didn’t want to test her luck.

She scuttled into the first seat of the boat before the others like a deer fleeing a loud noise and tried to act as innocent and oblivious as possible as the others boarded. She gazed at the nearby foliage as if enraptured by it and when the weight of a person settled next to her she only discreetly glanced out the corner of her eye. She had expected to find Seijuro next to her, as was customary, but to her surprise it was Makoto. The boy gave her a little smile and a wink and Gou knew he had placed himself there between Seijuro and herself on purpose. She smiled back gratefully, though at the same time she felt a little twinge of disappoint that she wasn’t going to be sitting next to the Samezuka captain. It almost felt…sort of weird to not be sitting by him. _I must have just grown used to it._

Seijuro took a moment before boarding to yell to his swim team to behave themselves and not cause any trouble, but Gou couldn’t tell if he was doing that just an excuse to get on the boat last and thus take the last seat or because he felt it was part of his duty as captain. Rin was still glaring but that wasn’t exactly unusual.

“Enjoy the natural paradise of swamps, marshes, and tree islands!” said the host once all of them were settled. “Make sure and pay close attention to the wildlife! Especially the alligators!”

“Alligators? They didn’t say anything about alligators before.” Makoto glanced almost desperately at the sides of the boat. “Is this all they’re going to leave us with? No bars at all?”

“We wouldn’t be able to see the animals then, Mako-chan!”

“I don’t care about seeing them! I just don’t want to get eaten by them!”

_This is like the zoo all over again._ “I-I’m sure it will be fine,” Gou tried to speak soothingly. “I doubt the alligators will even get that close to the boat. They’re scared of humans, aren’t they? I’m sure we have nothing to be afraid of!”

The engine started behind them, making such a roaring noise that Gou nearly jumped out of her skin. Makoto squeaked like a mouse being stepped on.

“If you’re scared Mako-chan, just grab onto Sei-chan like before!”

“No, don’t do that,” said Seijuro at once. “Because then Gou-kun will laugh too much and get us kicked off again.”

“I-I will not!” Gou placed a hand over her racing heart. Yes, this was definitely like the zoo all over again. But this time she would persevere! “And stop calling me Gou-kun!”

The boat jerked forward suddenly, the fan sounding like a jet had landed behind them, and Gou grasped onto the sides of the craft to keep herself steady. Faintly she could feel the three boys behind her bump into the seat she was in while beside her Makoto yelped like a scared puppy and grabbed onto the closest thing to him. Which just happened to be Seijuro.

Despite her earlier decree, Gou couldn’t contain her laughter. She made a noise that sounded somewhere between a grunt and a whine as she tried to contain it and covered her mouth with her hands as if that would help hold it in.

“My arm’s going to go numb again,” said Seijuro and Gou could feel her face starting to turn red as she was quickly losing the battle to stifle her laughter.

“You’re going to get us kicked off again, Gou-chan!”

“I-I am not!” Laughter bubbled unbidden out of her throat, sounding like a pained cough as she tried to fight it. “I-I’m not laughing!” She faced away from the two to try and compose herself. Thankfully the engine was too loud for the guide to hear much of what they were saying, if anything at all. The boat moved off from the dock, gliding into the open water and they made a wide arc to turn towards the rest of the park.

“If you want you can switch seats with me, Nanase-kun,” Seijuro suddenly commented.

Behind them Haru straightened like he had just been caught doing something even he wasn’t aware of doing. He turned away. “I didn’t-”

Whatever he was going to say next was drowned out by the clamor of the engine. The boat surged forward like a ball someone had kicked and the wind blasted against them. The speed was a bit overwhelming and Gou glanced behind herself at the dock that was rapidly being left behind. Very faintly she could see her brother still watching them and scowling still but if there was actually something making him scowl or if it were just his normal visage she was unable to determine.

“This sound will most surely damage our ear drums!” Rei had to shout to be heard. “I am finding this situation very hazardous!”

“You can hold my hand if you’re scared, Rei-chan!”

“T-that isn’t what I was saying!” Rei’s face turned scarlet.

The wind was hazardous too. Even tied back the wind was blowing Gou’s hair around so much she could scarcely see without the strands flinging into her eyes. The problems of long hair. She tried to hold it down with her hands with little success. _It’s going to be an absolute wreck by the time this is over._

Still the view was nice, what she could see of it through her tangled hair anyway, and the ride was rather relaxing once you got used to the noise. Well relaxing for the boys anyway, who didn’t have to worry about hair blowing in their face the entire time. Makoto even managed to release Seijuro’s arm before the other boy lost it due to lack of blood supply.

The long grass was everywhere but also little groves of trees, which the host had called tropical hardwood hammocks if Gou remembered correctly. Water highways, called sloughs according to their guide, laced through the grass and they traversed down several of them. One of them was framed on either side by trees with roots that stuck out of the water at odd angles resembling a drunken spider web, trees that the guide called mangroves. At one point they passed through a section that was covered almost entirely in what looked like lily pads. They slowed down through these areas, the guide giving them time to observe and a respite for their blown out ears.

“There’s an alligator!” Nagisa pointed eagerly as they sped along.

Rei adjusted his glasses as he peered over the smaller boy. “I’m fairly certain that’s just a log.”

“There!” Nagisa pointed in a different direction.

Rei pursed his lips. “A root…”

It wasn’t long after that that they came to an open area where several of the troughs met together, forming almost a sort of small pond. The guide brought their craft to sedately rest against the fringing sawgrass before cutting the engine and with the boat having come to a stop, he gestured that it was okay for them to get up and move around. “Special place,” he said but would provide no other explanation besides that. More than likely he didn’t know enough Japanese or English to explain any further anyway.

Gou peered into the sawgrass. She could see absolutely nothing remarkable within the foliage. Just grass, grass, and more grass. A minute or two passed with nothing happening.

“What are we doing here?” whispered Seijuro next to her.

“I don’t know,” Gou whispered back, although for the life of her she didn’t know why they were whispering. Come to think of it when had Seijuro come to stand next to her anyway?

Above them the guide moved and Gou looked up to see him strangely reach for a bag of marshmallows under his chair.

“What do you suppose he’s doing?” muttered Rei.

“Maybe he’s hungry,” said Nagisa. “I hope he shares.”

But the guide didn’t eat the marshmallows nor offer them any. He didn’t event open the bag. Instead he shook it.

It was like shaking a bag of cat treats. The sawgrass rippled and shifted and suddenly alligators came darting out into the open water, one so close it actually bumped against the boat.

“My goodness.” Gou took a step backwards, watching a little warily as one drifted by her spot on the boat. Most of them were on the smaller side and that was okay, but there were one or two that looking a little too big for comfort…

“Alligators!” Nagisa raised his arms in the air.

“There’s so many!” Seijuro’s eyes were unusually bright.

_Well, at least someone’s happy about it._ Makoto’s face looked like someone who had just witnessed roadkill occurring.

The guide, who was still seated up by the controls with the marshmallows in his lap, tossed one down into the water. It was like throwing a bone at a pack of starving dogs. The alligators snapped after it, thrashing and whopping against each other to reach the little piece of junk food. Alligator tails slapped against the water and Gou threw up her arms at the onslaught of water droplets, letting out a squeal. When she opened her eyes, Seijuro was somehow in front of her.

“I bet I could wrestle that one!” He pointed to one of the bigger ones that had managed to fight its way to the marshmallow.

“I bet I could too!” Nagisa bounced like a kid at this his birthday party beside him.

“I’ll get the head, you get the tail!” Seijuro placed his foot on the edge of the craft.

“You’re going to get yourselves killed is what you’re going to do!” Gou smacked Seijuro’s shoulder in an effort to deter him. “Don’t be ridiculous!” She swiped at the dirty water droplets on her cheek when her hand stilled and her eyes widened. _My hair!_ She pulled it forward in devastation. _Now it’s tangled_ and _soaked with nasty water!_ She fought back a wail.

“There will be no wrestling of crocodiles here!” Makoto flinched away from the side as one of the reptiles approached within inches. “Put your foot down this instance!”

“Actually they’re alligators, not crocodiles, Makoto-senpai.” Rei pointed down to the scaly reptiles. “See you can tell them apart by their snouts. Alligators have more rounded snouts while crocodiles have more of a ‘V’ shaped one. Also if you look at their teeth—”

“The last thing I want to do is look at their teeth!” Makoto heaved an aggrieved sigh. “This is terrible. Why can’t we go somewhere pleasant like a butterfly garden?”

“They have those here?!”

Makoto sighed again and moved back to sit down on the seats, apparently already done with their excursion, when something caught his eye. “Haru! What are you doing?!”

At the other end of the boat Haru was in the midst of disrobing. He shucked off his shorts, thankfully revealing a pair of swimming jammers underneath, and placed his foot on the edge of the boat. “I want to swim.”

“Haru, no!”

Haru leaned forward but ere he could dive into the murky water an alligator suddenly surfaced from the water just below. It snapped at the boat, pitching its wide head in Haru’s direction and the boy reared backwards, his foot falling away from the rail. He stood there in morbid silence.

Makoto, who had been in the midst of dashing towards him, drew within a few inches of him. “Haru?”

Slowly Haru turned away from the railing. “I do _not_ want to swim here,” he announced. Like a robot he marched over to the seats and proceeded to sit down in them, looking like someone who had just been told the world was not what they expected it to be.

“He forgot to put his clothes back on,” Seijuro observed and Gou was forced to turn to hide her failed attempt at not laughing near his chest lest Haru see it.

They spent a bit more time with the alligators. The guide fed the reptiles more marshmallows and Gou ducked behind Seijuro whenever he did so to avoid the splash. The tall boy and Nagisa were having an absolute ball, loudly proclaiming which gators they would be able to wrestle and encouraging their guide to throw in more marshmallows. The guide even let them throw some in and then, in what must have been a moment of pure insanity, he gave them have the bag in what could only be the equivalent of giving a fire cracker to a toddler. The two boys discussed for half a second what they would like to do and then immediately proceeded to dump the _entire_ bag into the swarm of alligators circling their boat.

It was like throwing a match into a house filled with methane. The water _exploded_ into a frothy rage. The alligators dove for the tiny white morsels, colliding, thrashing, and battling with each other in an utter sugar induced frenzy, turning the water into what looked like water boiling on a stove, their large bodies and tails smacking against the side of the boat in such a furor the boat rocked. Gou yelped at the assault of water droplets, raising her arms to shield her poor abused hair, and then stumbled as the boat rocked a little too dangerously for comfort.

Seijuro caught her. He held her by her elbows, the tossing of the boat causing her to stagger into him and grab onto him for support. “Isn’t this great?!” Seijuro had the nerve to laugh. “That was a great idea!”

“That was a terrible idea!” Gou clung to him despite her reddening face. Her safety was a little more important than any embarrassment she might be feeling at the moment. “You’re going to get us all killed!”

On the other corner of the boat Nagisa was laughing just as much as Seijuro, while Rei, who was paler and sweating more than usual, was nearly on the floor whilst trying to steady both Nagisa and himself from the rocking. Makoto and Haru were clinging to their seats, Makoto looking a little more than green around the gills.

“Let’s do it again, Sei-chan!”

“Sure thing! Does the guide have any more marshmallows?!”

“Absolutely not!” “No more marshmallows!” “This situation has become more than problematic and I implore you desist at once!” came the chorus from Gou, Makoto, and Rei.

They resumed the boat ride after that, thankfully leaving behind the open area with its multitude of alligators to head off into different areas. Seijuro ended up sitting next to Gou somehow – not that she was complaining, it felt back to normal - and Nagisa claimed the seat next to him as Makoto remained in the back next to Haru.

_They likely did it on purpose._ That way the two of them could feed off each other’s enthusiasm. _Lunatics._ Still the two of them kept things interesting at least. It reminded Gou of their last few nights, when the Iwatobi boys and even Goro one time had come over to Seijuro’s place at different intervals to try and beat each other at video games. The first night they had come over Gou had been worried and overly concerned that her brother would see them. If Rin happened to see Iwatobi entering or exiting Seijuro’s place he would indubitably become suspicious. He might think she was visiting there, and while the reality was much, much worse if he thought she was visiting Seijuro in the evenings it wouldn’t bode well for either of them. But nothing had happened that first night and Gou had relaxed considerably once it seemed that having the boys come over wasn’t so dangerous. Even if her brother did happen to see the Iwatobi boys Seijuro could just pass it off as an extension of friendliness to another swim team and with Rin’s current strained relationship with, well, everyone, it was unlikely he would ask in the first place. Gou hoped so anyway.

The rest of the airboat ride was pleasant rather than treacherous. They saw more wildlife; several birds and turtles, and even an otter. There were more alligators, but these gators were calm, floating sedately in the water or perched on banks to sun themselves. _Maybe we lucked out with Seijuro and Nagisa throwing that entire bag in._ Otherwise they would have likely thrown out marshmallows to these peaceful gators and then they might have ended up with a trail ofthem following them home.

By the time they pulled into the dock it was early afternoon. The host was there, having opted out of taking an airboat ride it seemed, and informed them the other boats hadn’t returned yet. “They should be back shortly,” she said. “Please feel free to use the vending machines in the meantime!”

_Encouraging us to spend more money._ Still, it worked. After they wasted time using the restroom they descended on the nearby vending machines like ghouls on a hapless victim.

_My hair is destroyed._ Gou did her best to straighten out the tangled bird mess that had once been her hair, cursing herself for not bringing a brush along with her. It was currently packed up with the majority of her stuff on the bus. _Maybe I should have packed more…_

The boats came in steadily one at a time, within the next half hour they had all returned. “Alright!” The host clapped her hands together once all of them present. “Our next stop is going to be right down this way!” She pointed to a dirt path lined with fences. “Please follow in an orderly fashion! And try not to make any sudden movements or disturb the fences! We don’t want to disturb our friends!”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Makoto muttered.

_With this country there’s no way of know_. It didn’t take long for them to figure out what the host meant however.

Alligators. Alligators on either side of them. Alligators in paddocks with cement pools and sandy beaches and dark green grasses. Alligators in water, alligators sitting with their mouths open on the grass, alligators lying against the fences. Alligators here, alligators there. Alligators everywhere. _So many alligators._

“Why do they have so many alligators?!” Makoto was clinging to Haru’s shoulder, crouching on the other side of the boy as Haru was the one walking close to the fence. “Why would anyone need so many alligators?”

“Alligator farming is actually quite popular these days, Makoto-senpai,” began Rei. “It’s practiced in such places as the US, China, Africa, Australia, and overall it has had positive effects on alligator conservation. Since the luxury goods industry has a reliable stream of product, they don't have to resort to illegal poaching to obtain skins and businesses engaging in ranching protect alligator habitats to take care of nesting sites to ensure a healthy population. The fiscal incentive is enough for them to keep a healthy environment for breeding alligators and so the animals are seen as an economic resource. This can also augment the government’s willingness to be involved in taking care of crocodilians and see monetary returns-” One of the gator’s hissed at Rei. He jerked away, catapulting straight into some Samezuka members. “But those benefits are heavily outweighed by the cost when one is eaten by these things!” he declared, his face turning red again.

The host led them past the alligator enclosures to a lone fenced square. Inside were several alligators lounging in a pool of water and a large sandy area. _A large pool of water._ Gou snuck a glance at Haru. The teenagers eyes widened at the water and his finger twitched but other than that he remained still. _Guess he learned his lesson from earlier._

It took her a moment to notice the large man standing in the pen with the gators. A large burly man with arms the size of her torso.

“Please everyone gather around the sides!” The host swept her arm in the direction of the open areas surrounding the pen. “Spread out as much as you like! You will want to have a good view for we are about to be treated to a very exciting and fantastic show!” She clapped her hands and beamed a giant smile. “Alligator wrestling!”

“Oh, God,” Makoto moaned. “I should have known.”

The Samezuka members didn’t share his lack of enthusiasm however. They eagerly spread out along the enclosure, talking excitedly and leaning onto the fence in anticipation as the burly man within the enclosure proceeded to pull one of the alligators lounging in the water out by its tail. The gator didn’t seem very appreciate about that, as it opened its large mouth and hissed, which seemed to only make the Samezuka members only that much more excited, as several let out exclamations and began shouting out suggestions. Gou watched intensely as the burly man walked around to the front of the alligator. He leaned down and then he proceeded to stick his hand in the creature’s lolling open mouth.

“Oh God.” Makoto covered his face.

Nagisa careened forward, nearly knocking himself backwards as he collided with the fence. He clung to the metal as if he would fall off the world if he didn’t, shouting out along with the Samezuka members.

“That’s dangerous!” Rei scolded. “Don’t go flinging yourself at objects that may be unstable!”

“This is amazing, Rei-chan!”

Gou shifted a bit to make room for the boys to see, but a tall presence next to her made her look up. Seijuro was standing next to her. Like them he hadn’t moved very far away either. Or had he done it on purpose?

Not that it mattered. He was utterly transfixed on the burly man and alligator. “This is great!” He looked over at her. “Isn’t this great?!” His eyes were alight once more. Gou was debating how to respond but Seijuro moved forward without waiting for her response to join Nagisa along the fence.

_I think he’s developing a case of hero worship._ Gou grimaced. Hopefully he wouldn’t decide he wanted to look like his new idol. Otherwise she would have no beautiful muscles to stare at, not to mention all that hair…

To say that the boys were thrilled about the alligator wrestling would have been an understatement. Nagisa moved and bounced around like his shoes were on fire and Seijuro was way too excited. He cheered and pumped his fist at the guy, yelling encouragement when the burly man held the creatures jaw closed and its head up between his chin and chest. “I found my new career!”

Most of Samezuka was the same. All across the fence boys were clinging to it, shouting and gesturing, creating a large hullabaloo like they were watching some sort of cage match on one of those terrible wrestling shows. “Put your thumb in its butt!” one member shouted.

Gou’s lip twitched, watching as the man placed his head between the alligator’s jaws. _This would be far more enjoyable if that guy had some nice muscles to look at._ She glanced up past the burly man and alligator and stiffened. Across the way Rin was scowling. She couldn’t tell exactly where he was looking nor If he was scowling about her being close to Seijuro, or about Seijuro and his behavior, or something else entirely but she stepped away from Seijuro just in case. Maybe Rin felt a kinship with the alligator since they had the same sort of teeth after all, and maybe he was trying to express it.

It was late afternoon by the time the alligator wrestling was over. The host announced that was the end of their hosted events for the day and they would now be returning to the buses for a short ride to their hotels for the night.

_Thank God_. It had been a long day and after being up since five AM she was looking forward to a nice quiet hotel room, a nice comfy bed and a long, hot shower. A relaxing night would be the perfect remedy for such an exhausting day.

The hotel wasn’t far and as the host went inside to check in and get their hotel cards, the swimming students unloaded their luggage.

“Thank goodness.” Makoto stretched his arms over his head, tilting first one side then the other to loosen up. “I’m ready for an uneventful night and some sleep.”

Even Haru next to him nodded in silent agreement.

“I want to eat and go to sleep.”Nagisa yawned. “Rei-chan, let’s get squid.”

“I doubt they have any squid here.” Rei smoothed down the other boy’s hair, which was more bedraggled than usual. “But I’m sure they offer a large variety of other seafood. Crabs, crawfish, clams-”

“Mackerel,” said Haru.

“M-maybe,” Rei replied doubtfully.

“I just want to sleep.” Gou tugged on a piece of luggage that had to weigh three times as much as she did. “That alligator wrestling took way too long.”

“Are you kidding? That was great!” Seijuro pulled Gou’s luggage onto the sidewalk like it was made of cotton. “I could have stayed there all day!” He frowned at Gou’s array of luggage gathered on the sidewalk. “How are you going to get all this luggage up to your room anyway?”

“Hmmm?” Gou quickly shook her head out of her ogling daze, not even realizing what she had been doing. She snuck a glance back to the other bus but luckily Rin was preoccupied helping Nitori with his luggage and hadn’t been looking over at them. She really had to be more careful about that. “Oh, well, I’m sure I’ll think of something…” Honestly she hadn’t even thought about that yet. _I sure hope they don’t put me on the top floor._

The host emerged with their hotel keys a few minutes later, and by then everyone had finished unloading their luggage and had gathered together in a loose clump to wait. “Alright, everyone! Here are your hotel keys! Please be responsible with them!”

She handed the first card to Seijuro. Standing next to him, Gou tilted to the side to peer over at the little white plastic card. It had some writing on it she was unable to read, the hotel name, and the hotel room number printed in big red letters on the center. _Well, that will make it easy to remember what hotel room I’m in._

“Here you are!” The host handed out cards to the Iwatobi boys. “And for you!” She held one out to Gou and as she did so the host winked at her.

Gou blinked in confusion, utterly stumped as to what that was about. _That host can be really weird sometimes._ She turned over her card to look at her room number. The big red letters glared back at her.

Gou’s eyes widened. Her heart felt like it had dropped into her stomach and then her stomach had dropped down to her shoes. _No. Oh, no. No, no, no, no._

It was the same number as Seijuro’s. The very same room.

She froze, completely at a loss what to do _._ Of course they would put them in the same room! The host country _knew_ they were married so of course they would!

Panic batted up her skin. Her brother was _right there_. If he looked over and saw… _Oh god._

Desperately, not knowing what else to do, she turned wide eyes on Makoto. She didn’t say anything but he seemed to sense she wanted his attention anyway, for his head swiveled her way a moment later. He blinked at her strange expression. She opened her mouth but only a desperate voiceless sound came out. She held out the card for him to see, praying that he could read the frantic plea for help in her gaze alone without forcing her to explain.

Makoto blinked some more. “Something wr-” Then he caught sight of the hotel card she held in her hand and his eyes widened as much as hers. “O-oh.” He looked around himself as if searching for an answer. “Ummm, o-oh, _oh,_ Gou!” he said her name much too loudly. “That’s my hotel key! You must have grabbed it by accident!” He was nearly shouting. “Sorry about that! Here let me get that!”

He slapped the key out of her hand. He moved forward so quick to retrieve it before anyone else would have a chance to grab it that he barreled into Gou. She stumbled backwards. Thankfully she collided into something steady, which just happened to be Seijuro. He grabbed her and stabilized her.

The commotion had drawn Rin’s attention, no surprise there. He turned his head to look but Makoto suddenly popped up in front of Gou like a jack in a box, effectively blocking her from view with his superior height. Vaguely she could see Haru and Rei had done the same, moving behind Makoto to create a screen of human bodies. Despite not knowing the situation they understood something was up and were taking protective measures. _I am going to owe them so much after this._

Behind her Seijuro released her and hastily stepped to the side to put some distance between them.

“Here you are!” Makoto pressed a sweaty hotel card into her hands. “This one’s yours!”

Gou took a deep breath, clutching the card against her racing heart.

It seemed her bad luck had continued to follow her.

_This cannot possibly get any worse…_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried really hard to incorporate and expand more on their 'date' but I hadn't initially planned that and the story just didn't want to cooperate. I hadn't really intended for the last chapter to be a cliffhanger but unfortunately that's how it turned out. I'm so sorry *lies down forever*
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has commented, left kudos, or bookmarked! Seriously I got some of the nicest comments lately and you guys are way, wayyy too nice considering this fic is pretty much word vomit. I am not worthy.
> 
> Also I want to say a big thank you for all the understanding considering how long it takes me to update this thing. I've see other authors complaining about receiving messages demanding updates and I've never received anything like that so thanks so much! I have the best readers ;_;


	21. Fantasy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smack my ass and call me inspired I guess. Bless season 2. I was hoping to have this fic finished before it came out but obviously that didn't end up happening haha. Maybe by the time season 2 ends...

"Sorry about that." Makoto set down one of the many pieces of luggage Gou had brought into the room. "I mean about almost knocking you over."

"I should be the one apologizing to _you,_ " said Gou. "I mean if it weren't for you guys..." Well, better not to think about that. "Anyway, thank you for what you did."

Makoto smiled at her. He sighed and straightened, pressing his hands against the small of his back. Behind him Haru entered with the rest of Gou's luggage. Rei and Nagisa were absent, having gone over to check out their hotel room.

"Think you'll be alright here?"

"Y-yeah." Gou looked at the bed situated in the middle of the opposite wall. A very large, single bed. It looked awfully comfortable even from where she stood.

The room that had been intended for her and Seijuro to share and she was going to have it all to herself.

Shortly after Makoto had snagged Gou's key they had discussed how best to set up sleeping arrangements. Since the room Seijuro and Gou had been given only had the one bed they had decided to let Gou have it. Haru, Rei, and Nagisa were to take one of the bedrooms with double beds, and Makoto and Seijuro the other.

"I'll talk to Mikoshiba and explain the situation," said Makoto. The Samezuka captain was unaware of what they had decided, having been dealing with his own swim team whilst Iwatobi had been discussing their predicament. "I'm sure he'll understand."

"R-right." Gou bit her lip. She felt bad about getting the biggest room with the biggest bed. Once again Seijuro was getting the short end of the stick when it came to sleeping arrangements, not to mention how much she was inconveniencing the Iwatobi boys. Well, maybe not inconveniencing all that much. Nagisa was excited about sharing a room with Haru, loudly proclaiming he wanted to sleep in the same bed as Haru, causing Rei to mutter darkly, "You don't want to sleep with me?"

_Weirdos._

Still she felt bad most of all for Makoto, Haru, and Seijuro. Makoto and Haru would surely have preferred to share a room together, not to mention Seijuro was stuck having to share a room with someone he didn't practically know that well.

_If only Ama-chan had come along._ Then Gou could have shared with her and Seijuro could have taken the single room. But the teacher had refused, citing how much she disliked reptiles.

"M-maybe," Gou swallowed. "Maybe I _should_ tell my brother. I mean about the marriage."

Makoto raised an eyebrow. Even Haru stopped what he was doing to turn to her. "Are you…sure?" Makoto sounded doubtful. "You were always so against it before."

"I know…but." She fidgeted with her hands. "It's just…inconveniencing everyone so much. I hate to keep making you guys cover up for me just because I did something really stupid. It would just be easier for everyone if I got it over with and told him, right? That way we wouldn't have to worry anymore and-"

Haru rose from where he had been laying down her luggage. He walked over to her so suddenly she stopped speaking and nearly took an unconscious step back at how close he got to both her and Makoto.

"You worry too much," he said simply. Then without another word he turned and walked out the door.

"H-Haruka-senpai?" Gou's mouth was having a hard time forming words.

Makoto chuckled. "Even Haru thinks it would be best not to tell him," he said. "And besides, you want them to do well in the race, don't you? Rin and Mikoshiba both. If you tell them it would it could effect their performance."

"That's right!" In the doorway Rei and Nagisa now stood. Nagisa fisted both his hands. "If Rin-chan isn't able to give his best performance than Haru-chan will be sad!"

_Well, sad might not be the right word._ Disappointed and frustrated was more likely, especially after that conversation they had had after the training camp.

"Nagisa-kun is correct." Rei adjusted his glasses further onto his face. "If you tell Rin-san it will most surely effect their mental state and they will most surely not perform at their best, and we want to beat them at their best, don't we?"

_Rei too?_ Gou couldn't believe it. After all he had said about telling her brother when she had first told him about the marriage and now he had done a complete one-eighty.

Makoto chuckled again. "See? Even Rei is excited to race them at their best."

"W-well." Rei's cheeks were tinted pink. "Y-yes, I suppose." He frowned a little. "Although I still think it would have been best if you had told Rin-san at the start."

Okay so maybe not a complete one-eighty.

Nagisa clutched onto the other boy's arm. "Hush, Rei-chan."

Gou sighed. They had her outnumbered. And not only that but what they said was true. Telling her brother so close to the competition would effect his performance negatively most definitely. That wouldn't be fair to Iwatobi or her brother. Nor Seijuro. "Alright," she acceded. "I won't say anything."

A little over a month. Just a little over a month and then they would be back in Japan. Back in Japan where she could get a divorce and forget about everything that had happened. _Just a little over a month._ She could get through it. Then everything could go back to the way it had been.

"Well, now that you're all settled in here." Makoto covered a yawn with his hand. "I think I'll head to bed myself. You'll be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine, thank you, b-but do you think Seijuro will be okay with it?"

"Maybe Sei-chan can stay in our room!" Nagisa suggested.

Rei was quick to protest said suggestion. "There are already too many people in there!"

"Sei-chan can sleep in the bed with Haru-chan and I."

"Just how many people are you trying to fit in one bed exactly?!" Rei's ears were turning red. "And why aren't I being included in this?" he added.

"I'll explain to Captain Mikoshiba what's going on." Makoto smiled at her. "I'm sure he'll understand considering the circumstances. Don't worry about it."

"A-are you sure?"

"Of course! It will be fine."

_Well…_ The two of them _were_ going to be sharing a room together. It might be best if Makoto talked to Seijuro instead, plus they were both captains besides. Seijuro might find it more appropriate for Makoto, the swim team captain, to discuss such things with him.

"Okay."

Makoto smiled at her once more then he turned and headed to the door with a slight wave, herding Nagisa and Rei out of the room with him. "Get some sleep. We have an early day tomorrow, don't we?"

Gou grunted in the affirmative. "It's a guided tour through the sawgrass park. A _walking_ tour." She grimaced slightly. She wasn't looking forward to that. Walking through that needle like grass with all those alligators around… _Wish I had some mace._ Not that there was any guarantee that would even work on the large reptiles.

The three of them departed and once the door closed Gou turned towards the rest of the room with a slight frown. Being in such a large unfamiliar room made her feel small, not to mention lonely as she was there utterly by herself. It was not at all what she was used to, not after living with Seijuro for almost two months. Even if they didn't sleep in the same room she was used to him being in the near vicinity and having his presence so nearby in just the other room.

_Although he still technically is._ Their hotel rooms – well, the one he should be sharing with Makoto now anyway – was only one room down from hers. So technically he still was nearby. Only it wasn't the same.

She sighed and walked over to her luggage to try and root out her pajamas. The only thing for her to do really was to go to sleep. There wasn't anything else she could do by herself.

She paused suddenly at the thought. Rubbing her chin, she looked towards the TV.

_Or is there…_

* * *

"Sorry about this." Makoto sat on the edge of the bed, his hands clasped on his knees. "I mean for the trouble."

"It's alright." Seijuro shucked his shirt over his head. "It couldn't be helped."

Makoto had informed him shortly before about their new sleeping arrangements and truth be known Seijuro had been a little relieved by it. Even he had felt a slight panic at seeing Gou's initial hotel card. It wasn't like he didn't like her or was unattracted to her – quite the opposite – but sharing a bed with her would have been too much too fast. That wasn't what he wanted from her, not at this point in time at least and especially not in that context.

Sharing a room with a Samezuka member would have preferable, like Noro or Nakagawa for instance, but there was no way Seijuro would have been able to achieve that without having to indulge some sort of truth about the matter. If he wanted to keep the marriage a secret than rooming with someone from Iwatobi was the only option.

Rei might have been Seijuro's first choice for a roommate out of Iwatobi simply due to the fact he knew the boy a little better than the other members, but Seijuro knew better to think there was any way Rei would room with anyone else other than Nagisa. Not now when they had whatever it was they had going on between the two of them. And he certainly didn't want to share a room with the two of them if they were going to be sleeping in the same bed. No thanks.

So it had ended up being he was to share a room with Makoto. A boy he didn't really know all that well besides the fact he was Iwatobi's captain and Gou was fairly close to him. Well, that and he was scared of loud noises and wild zoo animals. And he had a grip that would put most wrestlers anyway.

Seijuro flexed his arm at the memory. "Thanks for resolving the situation anyway." He sat down on the opposite bed. "I owe you one, captain."

"Oh you don't have to call me that." Makoto waved away the title. "Captain can be…a little uncomfortable to me. I don't really do much. Overall I mean." He rubbed the back of his neck. His smile was a little painful for some reason. "I'm not a great captain like you."

Seijuro raised his eyebrows at the comment. If he said he wasn't flattered he would be lying, although he was also a little bewildered. Makoto's dealings as captain he knew extremely little about, but what he had seen Tachibana had to be one of the nicest and most understanding people he had met. Seijuro dealt with his own fair share of nutters in his swim team but knowing the very varied personalities that existed in Iwatobi, Makoto had to have the patience of a saint.

_He's not giving himself enough credit._

"There are plenty of different kinds of captains," he said, unwittingly adopting his captain's tone. "A captain who is strict, his teammates will want to do well so as not to disappoint him. A captain who is respected, his teammates will want to do well in order to impress him. A captain who is loved, his teammates will want to do well to make him happy. None of those one better than the other. No single style is superior to the others. In my opinion so long as the team is happy and doing well it shouldn't matter what sort of captain you are. So long as you get the job done."

"I'm not really sure that's how it works. Besides we have no accomplishments to speak of." Makoto's chuckle was almost painfully fake. Still, he relented. "I suppose it's just the fact that I don't do much. I don't _have_ to do much."

Seijuro grunted. "Not a bad thing." He stretched his arms over his head. "If you don't need to do much then that means things are running smoothly. When you have to do _too_ much, that's when you're in trouble." He got up to head towards his bag laying in the corner.

"I suppose," Makoto said doubtfully. "Goro, Ama-chan, and Gou do help out a lot. Especially Gou. She tends to take care of everything so we can focus on swimming."

Seijuro couldn't suppress his grin. Of course she did. Organized, dedicated Gou. When she found something to focus on she really did give it her all. In that regard she was a lot like her brother. "How did Gou end up joining the swim team anyway?"

Makoto's gaze remained on the wall above Seijuro's bed. "She asked to join."

"She did?" Seijuro was unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. Gou really didn't seem like the type who liked swimming all _that_ much. If she did he would have figured she'd join the girls' swim team rather than the boys with zero accomplishments.

"She joined for Rin."

"Rin? You mean Matsuoka?"

Makoto nodded. He didn't say anything further however and Seijuro knew he was skating along territory he was not welcome in. Something to do with the Matsuoka siblings or maybe Matsuoka and those in the Iwatobi swim team. Seijuro had his suspicions but _what_ exactly it was he was uncertain.

_Well, I'm sure they have their reasons._ He bent down to dig through his bag for his toiletries.

"If you don't mind me asking," Makoto spoke from behind him, "and I know this is a little intrusive, but why did you and Gou get married?"

It was intrusive but Seijuro couldn't fault him for it. The Iwatobi captain was close to Gou and protective besides. Like a big brother, he would want to know what Seijuro's intentions had been when they had gotten married.

"I don't remember," he admitted. "Just a stupid drunken decision."

The other boy's forehead creased. "It doesn't make any sense to get married for no reason."

"Who knows." Seijuro shrugged. "I don't know why I got married."

"At all?"

"At all. I don't remember anything outside of the bar."

"The bar." Makoto hummed in his throat. "You two did seem awfully close that night."

That they had. The parts Seijuro could remember anyway.

"And you seem closer now," Makoto continued.

"I suppose."

"Awfully close."

"…I suppose."

"You've been spending a lot of time with her lately."

Seijuro frowned a little.

"And you seem to have been going out of your way to sit by her."

Had he? He hadn't even really realized it.

"Funny how one would marry someone they're not interested in," Makoto finished and Seijuro closed his eyes.

_Ah, so this is it._ He wasn't foolish enough to think Makoto's sudden line of observations and questions didn't have a reasoning behind them and now he understood what that reasoning was. He was almost unable to suppress his chuckle. _You're craftier than you realize, Tachibana._

He rose to face the other boy. "You already know how I feel, don't you?" He kept his gaze trained on the other. "After reading a person like Nanase-kun for so long reading a person like me must be like reading writing on a wall I'd imagine."

He was well aware he wasn't exactly a closed book. A lack of expressiveness was certainly not a facet of his personality and for someone like Makoto, who had spent almost the entirety of his life around someone as inscrutable as Nanase, Seijuro's emotions may as well be a giant exclamation mark. He simply could not believe otherwise when it came to the other captain.

When Makoto smiled at him it was tinged with amusement. "Yeah," he admitted. "I already knew." His smile widened further. "I just wanted to hear you say it."

* * *

Gou stood in the hotel room in front of the TV. The remote was in her hand and the black screen of the TV loomed back at her. She couldn't tell if it was inviting or forbidding, that black screen. Maybe a bit of both. She clutched the remote harder, trying to psyche herself up for what she had been planning for nearly two hours now.

She had showered, gotten into her pajamas, and prepared for bed, using those things as a way to kill time whilst waiting for the boys to go to sleep.

She glanced over her shoulder at the clock. Was it safe now? It was rather late. Surely the boys were asleep. She had been listening carefully but she hadn't heard a peep in a while from the room next to hers that contained Rei, Nagisa, and Haru. They had to be asleep.

_I can't wait any longer._ It was already late and she had to be up early. She couldn't put it off any longer if she was going to do it.

Hesitantly she lifted the remote. She hit the power button and stood there on pins and needles as the sound blared out while the visual took several seconds to generate. Quickly she lowered the volume to a barely audible level. It was unlikely the boys next door would be able to hear the TV at all through the wall but she didn't want to risk it. The last thing she wanted was for them to hear anything and then come over to investigate.

Because Gou was in pursuit of some less than wholesome programming. Porn to be exact.

Tonight was the perfect opportunity. It had dawned on her when after she had realized she was going to be all alone by herself in that big hotel room. All alone in a private place where no one would know what she was up to.

_If I'm careful anyway._ That's why she had killed time to allow the boys to go to sleep. If she was discreet and kept the volume down then no one would know. No better opportunity would present itself outside of tonight. She had to take advantage of it while she could!

_So long as the hotel offers those sort of channels._ But surely they had to. It _was_ a hotel and this was a room that was designed for a couple to be in. Surely they would offer that kind of stuff.

She flicked through the guide. It was a good sign that there was a channel guide rather than just manual scrolling like their channels back at the house and after a moment of consideration she tried the higher channels in the hopes that was where the more X rated channels existed.

She stared in awe at the lines of blue. So many. There are so many of them. At least fifteen or twenty stations of nothing but triple X rated material. It was almost unbelievable.

She sat down on the edge of the bed as she began to scroll through the many offerings, reading the descriptions for each one. She wanted something with a bit of a plot, something that was more than just a pizza guy or a police officer randomly showing up and the girl being unable to pay for her pizza or her traffic ticket or whatever. Gou had never seen that personally but she had heard the general rumors about that. You couldn't go to high school without hearing about that sort of stuff.

She raised her eyebrow at some of the names. Womb Raider. Batman in Robin. How Stella Got Her Tube Packed. Free My Willy. The list went on and on.

After a few moments of flicking through she finally settled on one. She pushed the select button and a blue box flashed up onto the screen. It was a warning of additional charges and Gou's jaw dropped.

_Twenty dollars?!_ She let out her breath like she had been punched in the stomach. So expensive! Why was it so expensive?!

She grit her teeth. She wasn't going to get a better opportunity than this. Once they got back from this trip she would be back in the house with Seijuro or at Iwatobi's place. Seeking out porn there was a big no-no and even if nobody was there the cable they had there didn't get these channels anyway. If she was going to do it then it had to be tonight.

Grumbling she hit the accept button. There was no getting out of it. She would just have to be careful with the rest of her money for the remainder of their time here or think up a good excuse to ask her mother to send more.

The title screen came on and Gou did her best to not read the less than wholesome title. It was certainly more…blunt than the others she had looked at.

The scene changed to what looked like a room in a castle and on a giant bed taking center screen a woman lounged in a gown that was so see through she might as well not have been wearing it. _At least she has underwear on._ If that scrape of cloth could be called underwear anyway. It was more revealing than the speedo Rei and Nagisa had bought during their shopping trip a while back.

This was the one she had picked. Some story about a princess being courted by two different princes and being torn between them. How romantic.

Only she hadn't anticipated the show originally having been filmed in the country's native language and then dubbed over in Japanese. The dub voices were…less than stellar. And they didn't match up with their moving mouths either. She waited several minutes as one of the 'princes' and 'princess' gabbed away at each other, something about forbidden love or other, and tried to ignore their mismatching mouth movements.

_This is taking way too long._ She pushed the fast forward button. The scenes whizzed by on the screen, the princess and her consorts talking, talking, talking, some old guy who had to be the king came and went, some young women doting on the princess wearing dresses that dipped way too low to be considered appropriate. When she finally reached a scene where they was some kissing action going on she pushed play.

For some inconceivable reason one of the prince's was making out with one of the princess's buxom handmaidens in a laundry area. He had her pressed up against the wall, the inappropriate dress hanging so low and tight it looked like her breasts were going to pop out any minute, his nearly see through tights leaving very little to the imagination as he kissed up and down her neck.

_That seems a little counterproductive if you're trying to get with the princess._ Maybe he was no longer interested in the princess? Gou frowned. _Maybe I shouldn't have skipped the entire plot._

She watched in fascination as the two made out heavily. She had seen such kissing before, in movies and whatnot, but this was different, more exciting and charged, like the breath before the plunge. Maybe because she knew where this kiss was going to end up leading to. Although all the tongue play was a little disturbing, like two dogs with peanut butter stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

She straightened as hands started to go underneath clothes. The guy had slipped his hand up underneath the girl's skirt. The handmaiden started to moan like crazy. Flushing, Gou hastily lowered the volume some more, mashing the button like her life depended on it. While it was highly unlikely the three boys next door would be able to hear anything through the wall and while they might not think she was doing what she was actually doing it sure wouldn't bode well for her if they heard a woman's moans coming from her room. They might think it was _her_ moans.

_Good thing Makoto isn't in that room._ He would absolutely die if he thought she was doing something to herself to cause that or someone else doing it _to_ her.

The two on the screen were delving into heavier petting. The woman's breasts were completely exposed and the prince had hiked up her dress to around her waist. His hand was between her legs and since it was a porno the camera was giving a direct shot of her crotch of course. The guy had his fingers up inside her. First he slipped in one and then a second, and he had begun moving them in and out of her.

Gou stared with wide eyes. They had never shown this in the movies before. It sort of looked rather…enjoyable. The handmaiden sure sounded like she was enjoying it.

Gou moved her legs almost restlessly. An ache was developing in her nether regions. An ache that was nearly painful, like an over stimulation without a release. She pressed her thighs together in an effort to relieve the throbbing.

Watching something like this, she couldn't but wonder what would it be like to be touched like that. The thought was strangely exciting. She had never experienced anything remotely close to what was occurring on screen and she had never pursued anything like it either, but it wasn't like the idea had never crossed her mind before. They always been fleeting thoughts, little flashes of curiosity that had entered her mind and then been excused just as quickly. Never before had she dwelled on it but now that it was practically in front of her face she couldn't help but really, truly wonder what it would be like to experience such a thing.

What would it be like if Seijuro touched her like that? Her eyebrows lowered in consideration. Looking at her in that way of his when he caught sight of her for the first time in a while, like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. What if he kissed her again, breath hot and heavy, his voice rumbling in her ear using in that tone of his when he used his captain's voice, the one that was slow and measured and heavy. Hands on her thighs, grazing upwards. Muscles pressed against her that she was able to touch rather than just stare at.

The remote slipped from her grasp. It clattered to the floor and the sudden noise made Gou start. Flustered, she bent down to retrieve the device, her face growing hot at the realization of what exactly she had been thinking about.

Imagining Seijuro in such a way…She almost couldn't believe herself. She had never thought of him like _that_ before. She had never even imagined them kissing before and certainly never anything so intimate as she had just imagined. She had thought he would kiss her again, thought about the time they had kissed, but fantasizing about it was an entirely different animal. Much less the notion that she would _want_ him to do such a thing. From him especially.

So then what the heck had that been? Gou clutched the remote between her hands, gaze locked on the carpet in front of her, her thoughts and emotions tumbling over themselves as she tried to sort them out. It was like a tangled knot she simply had no idea where to start in order to undo it and thinking about it only left her more confused.

Some strange slurping sounds coming from the TV pulled at her attention and she turned back to the porn she had forgotten was still going. Her mouth dropped open. Things had certainly progressed while she had been wrapped up in her introspection. The prince had lost his pants and the girl was on her knees before him. His cock was out and the girl was…

_She's putting it in her mouth?!_ Gou covered her face with her hands, the remote clattering once more to the floor. _Oh my god!_ So gross! Why would anyone _do_ that? Putting _that_ in your mouth? _Why?!_

She peeked out between her fingers, her eyes wide as dinner plates. The guy had placed his hand on the back of her girl's head and she was bobbing back and forth like one of those drinking birds. _Oh my god! That wasn't meant to go there!_

She dove for the remote and mashed at the power button. She spent a few moments breathing heavily as the TV shut down, bathing the room into utter blackness, regaining her bearings as her face heated to the point she felt like she was sweating. Even if she had paid twenty dollars for the porno and hadn't even gotten to the sex part yet she wasn't ready for that sort of thing. Maybe later. A few months from now. A year. Ten years. Maybe never.

She shuddered. Ugh. _I think I've had enough of porn for a bit._

She tossed the remote onto the bedspread with a shaky sigh. Still, the other parts had been interesting and fun to watch if she was completely honest. Exciting even.

She shook her head in an effort to dislodge that thought. They had to be up early tomorrow for the sawgrass walk and she had already stayed up way too late already. It was time to put the porn away and go to bed.

Not that that stopped her mind from wandering once she had pulled back the coverlet and settled in, her brain returning once more to that fantasy it had conjured. What would it be like if Seijuro _did_ touch her like that? All he had ever done, or even tried for that matter, was kiss her that one time. He had not attempted a single thing since then.

" _You still liked the kiss, didn't you?"_ Hana's voice.

She bit her lip. Did she want him to kiss her again? Did she want him to try? She bit her lip harder. Did _he_ even want to for that matter?

She turned over and tried to put it out of her mind, but sleep was still a long time coming.

* * *

The next morning Gou stood in the lobby of the hotel, yawning expansively and blinking sluggishly. The sun was shining harshly through the windows, making Gou squint, and she stepped to the side to avoid its glaring rays. For some insane reason their check out time had been scheduled for nine AM and so she had gotten up at eight.

Having to wake up early again, she was more than tired. Two nights of not that much sleep and getting up early. She was ready to crawl into bed, preferably Seijuro's, and sleep forever. Too bad that wasn't in the cards today.

Because today was donated to yet another hosted event. A day that was going to be spent outside in the hot sun walking through that sawgrass world. Gou wasn't really looking forward.

They were gathered near the back of the lobby, waiting for the Samezuka members to come down. Seijuro had departed to rouse his own team members before Makoto had come to gather her so Gou had yet to see him this morning. They were taking a while. Gou yawned into her hand again.

"You look tired," Makoto observed. "Did you not sleep well?"

"Erk." Gou stiffened. "Uhhh." She scrambled for an excuse. "Bad pillows," she said after a moment. "W-what about you?" She looked up at him. "Did last night go well?"

For some reason a strange smile crossed Makoto's face. "Yeah," he said. "I would say it did."

Gou blinked but didn't get a chance to pursue the conversation as the elevator dinged and a torrent of Samezuka members burst through the doors like water breaking through a dam. Seijuro was there and Gou's heart sped up at seeing him. She could already feel the blood rushing to her face despite the fact he hadn't even said anything to her and she turned to squint out the window.

Not that it mattered. The host approached a moment later, asking them all to line up and had in their hotel cards. Wisely Iwatobi hung back and waited for Samezuka to go first, the other boys almost tripping over each other to get in line first.

Except someone else had the same idea.

Gou clutched her room card a little tighter than necessary. Seijuro had waited, allowing his teammates to go before him and, once they were all finished, he slid in to the line behind her.

"Morning, Gou-kun!"

She was so flustered she didn't even think to correct him on her name. She tried to avoid looking at him. "G-good morning." She swallowed. This wasn't like the last two times when she had felt awkward around him. She wasn't uncomfortable or wary. It was more like he was some kind of foreign wildlife she had no idea what to do with anymore.

"Did you sleep alright?"

"G-great!" Her face reddened slightly at how loud that had been. She fought to get her brain back in working condition. "D-did you? I mean sorry about that situation..."

"Oh I slept fine, don't worry about it." He shrugged. "It isn't your fault."

Gou's brow furrowed. That wasn't entirely true though. Half of it was her fault. Her name was on that marriage certificate too after all. She shared half of the blame. Just like her mother had said.

Only Seijuro seemed to be the only one getting stuck with crummy sleeping arrangements while she was making out like a bandit. Surely nobody would be happy about getting kicked out of their nice large bed onto a couch nor having to give up a sweet hotel room with a large bed to a tiny bed in a shared room with someone they didn't know so well, but whenever she offered to sleep on the couch he refused. Maybe she'd try again later.

Gou handed her room card to the hotel employee. She stepped away to let Seijuro check out and dug through her purse for her chap stick. With the sun blazing as it was and being stuck in it all day it was sure to dry out her lips. _Good thing I packed all this stuff just in case._

Seijuro finished just as quickly as she and stepped away to walk out together when the clerk suddenly called out.

"Excuse me, Mr. Mikoshiba, sir." She waved a paper in the air to grab his attention. "I apologize, sir, but there was a charge on your room that needs to be settled. A movie charge."

Gou nearly stumbled into the glass doors in front of her. She had completely forgotten! _Oh, no. No, no, no._ She whirled around.

"A charge?" Seijuro stepped back to the counter. He picked up the receipt the desk clerk had set down. His brow's furrowed. "Girl's who scream—"

"Bloody murder!" Gou flung herself so hard at the paper she nearly collided with the counter. She smacked it back down and covered it with her hands. "It was a horror movie!" Her voice was incredibly loud in the hotel lobby and Seijuro looked a bit aback by her sudden intensity. "I'll take care of it!" She dug into her pocket and practically flung her money at the poor clerk. "Here you go! All taken care of!" She turned and pushed on Seijuro. "B-best to get going! We don't have any time to waste! Lots to do and see today! Haha!"

He allowed her to push him along with little resistance, a good thing too considering the fact she wouldn't have succeeded in moving him an inch otherwise, and only gave her an odd look over his shoulder. Outside the lobby Gou dropped her hands from his back – his very muscular back – and over her heart as she took a deep breath. That had been close. _Too close._ If he had realized what she had been watching… _Oh god._ She would have wanted to die on the spot.

"A horror movie?" Seijuro was looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

_Oh god._ Gou swallowed to try and control the heat creeping up her neck and face. "Uhhh, yes. It was about a…monster…that was…eating people." Well, that wasn't that far from the truth anyway. She shuddered.

Seijuro seemed to consider this for a brief moment. His face brightened. "You didn't tell me you like horror movies!" His eyes were alight in delight. "I love horror movies! Let's check that one out when we get back so I can watch it too!"

Gou made a sound like an animal dying.

Seijuro moved off to shout out commands to his swim team members and Gou placed a hand to her forehead. She could already feel a headache forming. The lack of sleep and…everything else. The sun was only going to make it that much worse.

Taking a deep breath she started forward

_This is going to be a long day…_

* * *

Everyone was exhausted by the time they started the long bus ride back home. Spending the day hiking in the hot sun through the sawgrass, trudging through water, swamp, and marsh alike had drained any and all of them. Even energy filled Nagisa resembled a wilted flower once everything was over and they were marching onto the bus, and Seijuro ached all over. He was looking forward to getting back home and collapsing on the couch. It may not be a bed nor the most comfortable but the mere thought of it sounded so good.

The sun was setting and the bus became quieter and quieter as darkness filled it until only silence reigned, the occupants steadily nodding off one by one. By the time an hour had passed most of the swimmers had descended into slumber, slouched and sprawled in their bus seats or leaning against each other. Some particularly brave ones had lain down in their seats with their heads in their seating partners lap. Like Nagisa. Lucky guy was small enough he could do such a thing.

Some weren't so lucky. Seijuro stretched, extending his legs into the aisle to try and stretch out completely. He had given up on trying to sleep or more accurately hadn't bothered trying. He had learned his lesson from when he had attempted to do so whilst riding to the sawgrass park. Anytime he had managed to get even halfway asleep the bus had jerked or swayed and he would nearly face plant into the driver's seat in front of him. So sleep wasn't in the cards for him. However…

Next to him Gou was leaning her head against the window in an attempt to sleep. Inevitably, after her breath had become soft and even with slumber, the bus would sway and her head would bang into the window, jerking her back awake. When this occurred she would blink confusedly as if she didn't understand what had happened, then would lean her head against the window again in an attempt to sleep once more, only for the same thing to repeat all over again.

After the fifth time of watching this, Seijuro sighed. There was no helping it. He'd rather risk getting yelled out and freaking her out then watching her give herself a concussion.

He reached out to pull her to lean against him. If he was lucky she was tired enough that she wouldn't even realize. If he was unlucky she would wake up and likely call him a pervert. Or slap him. Both would be pretty humiliating.

What he didn't expect was for her, at his slight pulling, to twist in her seat towards him and proceed to burrow into his side. Her arms slid under his jacket to the warmth of his t-shirt underneath, one limb snaking across his midsection while the other she tucked against her chest near his side. She lay her head on his chest and let out an exhale that sounded deep and contented.

Seijuro almost couldn't move; he was so bowled over. His brain was having a rough time processing this was reality and this was actually happening. How was he supposed to move now? Should he put his arm around her? What was he supposed to do in this situation?

The unmistakable feeling of eyes on him made him look up. Across the aisle from him he saw Makoto. The other boy noticed Seijuro's gaze. He smiled.

_Crafty guy._ Seijuro smiled back.

And now he understood just a little bit better what all those questions had been about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written any sort of smut in I dunno like ten years? How to porn?
> 
> This chapter was both insanely fun and mortifying to write. Especially while trying to hide it from my roommates as I sweat buckets. Let's agree to never talk about it again.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who was left kudos, commented or bookmarked! I appreciate you guys so much for sticking with this ungodly long fic!


	22. Loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos, commented, or bookmarked! I'm still amazed everyday at the reception this fic has received considering its word vomit. You guys are way too nice!

Gou threw her coin into the offertory box, watching it clink against the wooden rails several times before falling in. There was no bell to ring so she made sure to hold her bows extra long during her prayer. It had been Nagisa's idea to come here. "A good prayer to the water gods will increase our winning chances!" he had claimed and of course after he said that Haru had been in full agreement.

Three days left until the tournament. Gou had been counting down the days. Quite literally in fact.

" _Can you stop that?" Rei glared down at the stack of papers announcing how many days were left until the tournament as if they had done something to personally offend him. One sheet of paper for every day. Gou had made sure of that. "We all know how many days are left, don't we?"_

_Do you, Gou almost wanted to challenge him, ruffled at his dismissal of her hard work. "These are meant to motivate you!" She shook one of the papers at him. "Pressure is what pushes people to the next level!"_

" _Pressure can also ruin some people," Haru deadpanned and Gou was honestly a little surprised to hear that psychological observation coming from him. Maybe he was a deeper thinker than he liked to let on._

" _You mean like Rei-chan?" Nagisa suggested._

_Rei spluttered. "I'm not that weak!"_

" _You couldn't sleep the night before the plane ride."_

" _That is totally different!"_

" _Well, I'm sure a little pressure will motivate us," said Makoto in an attempt to compromise. "A little pressure is good for anyone, right?" He frowned a little as he gazed at the papers. "Although I don't understand why you had to wear a hakama to make these. Did you actually bring a hakama along with you?"_

_Gou kicked them out of the room._

She snorted under her breath. She had brought a hakama with her but she wasn't about to admit that to them. Boys wouldn't understand that sometimes you _had_ to pack something _just in case_ you might need it. And she had ended up needing it! There was a reasoning behind her logic.

Since returning from their sawgrass adventure their time had been filled with almost nothing but swimming. The host country had finally worked out enough pools for all their competitors and so all of them now had their own private pools to practice in. Iwatobi had been given an outdoor one that was a little on the smallish side and looked eerily like their pool back in Japan, while Samezuka had been given an indoor one that was Olympic size or pretty darn close to it. It was a little unfair the difference in perks between the two schools, but considering Samezuka's reputation and how many swimmers they had it was no surprise they would be lavished upon by the host country. _Things like that don't win competitions though._ Gou was just glad they hadn't tried to put the two swimming teams in the same pool due to the marriage. That would have been a disaster.

Regardless of their pool not being on the high end spectrum side of things, they had been taking full advantage of it. Early to bed, early to rise, swimming, come home, go over notes, go to bed, rinse and repeat. That was all Gou's life had consisted of lately. The same was true of Seijuro. She had seen very little of the Samezuka captain, outside of comparing notes and discussing some swimming ideas. By the time both of them got home they were typically too exhausted to even hold much of a conversation. Not that she was worried about it. They both had their own separate things to concentrate on and with the competition right around the corner it was to be expected.

Except for that one time…

" _I couldn't find that movie 'Girls Who Scream Bloody Murder'." The corners of Seijuro's mouth were downturned in disappointment. "The clerk hadn't even heard of it. Sorry."_

" _T-that's alright."Gou swallowed, thanking her lucky stars that the clerk hadn't heard of something similar or at least hadn't related the two if he had. "I-I didn't like that one very much to begin with."_

" _I found lots of other good horror movies though!"He held up the boxed videos like they were rewards he had won. "Let's watch them all tonight!"_

" _O-oh." Gou's face hurt with the strain to keep her smile in place. "Goodie."_

At least all the videos had been dubbed just as badly as that porno. Gou couldn't manage to get scared at all when their voices and mouth movements were so utterly and hilariously out of sync. Not to mention Seijuro had spent most of the time yelling at the screen anyway whenever a character did something stupid. It was rather hard to be scared with a 6'2 well-built guy sitting next to you, especially when said guy kept making comments like 'Turn around! He's behind you' and 'Don't go in there! Why would you go in there?!' or 'Don't run _that_ way!'. Honestly Gou had been laughing more than anything.

Today was the first day Iwatobi had gone out somewhere besides swimming, Goro insisting they needed to rest their bodies a little bit before they overstrained themselves, and the shrine had seemed like a good idea. Some light relaxing exercise on the way to it and a peaceful atmosphere to relax in once they had reached it. The scenery wasn't bad either.

"Now, now." From the stairs leading further up into the shrine Gou overheard Makoto's voice. He, Rei, and Nagisa had wandered over there to rest their legs shortly after doing their own prayers. "We all decided to stick with individual events too, so we could focus on our strengths."

Beside him Rei lowered his face. "I wanted to swim in a relay." He said the words so lowly Gou almost didn't catch them and the looks of surprise and delight that crossed Nagisa and Makoto's faces must mean he had not spoken this desire out loud before either.

"You want to be in a relay, Rei-chan?!"

"Yes. I rented a video of the Olympics." Rei's cheeks were turning pink. "It was beautiful to watch four athletes swimming different styles in succession to complete a race together. It was especially beautiful how the butterfly…"

He prattled on about how beautiful the butterfly stroke was but Gou turned her face away, tuning him out. So they wanted to be in a relay? If those three wanted to be in a relay then did that mean…

She looked over to where Haru stood a few feet from her observing the rest of the shrine. He had been quiet today, but if that was due to the impending race against her brother or him just being his usual self she wasn't sure. She couldn't ask him about it either. Not only would he more than likely not appreciate it but she might accidentally give away all the conversations she had heard involving him.

Could he be the main reason why they weren't doing the relay? Makoto had never explicitly said that to her but he hadn't exactly given her an explicit reason as to why they had decided not to do the relay either. As to why Haru would be against doing a relay she wasn't sure, although she could recall back in elementary school how her brother would come home and complain sometimes at how stubborn Haru would be about the relay Rin had been fighting to get him into. Perhaps Haru really was just the type who preferred to swim alone and the only reason he had agreed to that relay in elementary school was because her brother had chipped and chipped away at him, sharpening his teeth against the other boy's stubbornness until he had caved. Because if Haru was stubborn than Rin was twice as so.

She looked up as Haru stepped over to the offertory box. Next to it was a bunch of folded papers that supposedly told your fortune. Gou had taken one for herself earlier but all it had said was 'you will marry someone tall, dark, and handsome'. _Like I haven't done that already._ She had thrown it away shortly afterwards.

Haru took one of the fortune papers and unfolded it, and Gou was close enough she could read it. She blinked at what she saw. "Half luck?" She had never heard of anything like that before. What did half luck mean? If it was only half luck then what the heck was the other half? Bad luck? No luck? "That's not good is it?"

Haru didn't answer and she read a few more of the lines on the paper. The rest didn't sound so bad, or quite as vague. 'Focus on your studies'. 'Your business will do well'. 'You'll make lots of good memories'. 'You will be reunited with the person you want to see'. 'You will make good friends'.

Maybe those last three were referring to her brother? That would sure be nice. Maybe after their race, no matter who won or lost, it would solve whatever quandary was currently going on between them. Gou had seen that happen in lots of sports manga before anyway, why couldn't it be the same in real life?

She tried a joke in an attempt to crack the somber atmosphere. "Maybe you grabbed my paper by accident."

The corner of Haru's mouth twitched but not in the manner of a smile. "In that case it would have no luck."

Gou raised an eyebrow. Was…was Haru actually _making_ a joke back? He delivered it so deadpan it was impossible to tell.

He stared down at the paper in his hand for another moment. He folded it, hiding its declaration of half luck, and tucked it into his pocket. "I don't need luck," he muttered as he turned away. His eyes were hard. "I'll make my own."

Gou watched him leave. She hoped he could. She really, really if Haru was capable of turning his luck into what he needed it to be with his own two hands then maybe so could her brother.

_And maybe so can I._

* * *

When Seijuro's alarm went off he didn't flop over with a groan and grumblingly tap his snooze button five different times like he normally did. Instead this morning he turned over right away and gleefully turned the noisy device off like it was singing happy birthday to him rather than sounding like some sort of screeching boat horn. Because today was the day. It was finally here. The day of the first competition.

He nearly leaped off of the couch rather than dragging himself off of it like some beached whale. He took a few moments to stretch, making sure his muscles were well prepared and to get his blood flowing. It would look poorly on him indeed if he pulled a muscle due to not having stretched properly or because he was too excited. He had to be in his best condition.

From the other room he heard Gou's alarm go off as well. She must have been just as energized as he for it was turned off a moment later and he could hear her movements as she got out of bed. Like him she hadn't hit the snooze even once either and a moment or two later she stepped out into the hall.

"Today's the day we advance!" was his instant greeting.

"You mean _we_ advance," she corrected without missing a beat.

He grinned at the challenge. "You better be ready then. We won't go down easily!"

She met his grin with a smile of her own. "Neither will we!"

It was a half hour before they left to meet their teammates. They moved about the house gathering what they needed, brushing by each other as they shuffled from room to room, reaching around or below or over each other when they needed something in the same spot. It was a routine they had gone through for the last two weeks now, and the familiarity and comfortability of it astounded Seijuro when he actually paid mind to it. Just like any married couple did as each got ready for their day.

"Have you seen my sunglasses?" asked Gou, standing with hands on hips as she surveyed the living room as if it were the room's fault they were missing.

Seijuro plucked the shades off the top of her head and handed them to her.

Seijuro patted down his many pockets. All of them were empty. "I forgot my-"

"Here you go." Gou tossed him his red phone.

"Thanks."

They walked down the path together and at the end they both paused, like the breath before the plunge. They both seemed reluctant to take that next step forward and continue on with their day. Because today was the deciding moment. If any of them messed up or did poorly, that would be it for them.

Seijuro looked up. A hawk was crossing the vast blue of the sky, its shadow crossing over the both of them, as if too had been waiting for this day and was watching them to see how they would do. Seijuro rolled his shoulders in an effort to loosen them. "So today's the day."

"Yep." Gou took a deep breath. She smiled. "I hope both of our teams advance."

"Me too." He tried to think of something to say that would lighten the heavy atmosphere when a wicked thought crossed his mind and he couldn't help the grin from crossing his entire face like some sort of wildfire. "How about a kiss for good luck?!"

Gou's mouth fell open. She turned away almost instantly but not before he saw the blush already spreading across her face. "A-absolutely not! I'm not doing that!"

"Awww." Well, it had been worth a try. Too bad. Such a smooth move like that should have worked. Seijuro had been complimenting himself on a job well done before she snuffed that out.

Gou started to walk away and Seijuro turned halfway to head in his own direction when Gou suddenly drew to a halt, hands fisted by her sides, as if she had suddenly reached some significant conclusion. When she whirled around Seijuro looked at her questioningly, but his confusion only mounted when she unexpectedly started marching towards him, mouth set in a grim line. "Something wro-"

Forcefully she turned his head, cutting him off. Then she arched up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek right near the corner of his mouth. "Good luck." The words sounded almost choked. Just as quickly she dropped back down and turned away to resume walking, Seijuro catching only a glimpse of her reddened face as she did so.

Seijuro was so stunned he couldn't move for a long moment. His hand slowly came up to his face. He touched the place where her lips had been. _Did she just…_

A gleeful smile split his face. So it had worked after all! What a smooth move! He'd have to try that more often. "W-wait! I have to give you one for good luck too!"

"Go away!"

* * *

It took longer than Seijuro had anticipated for all of his swimmers to get on the bus. He had gotten there with plenty of time to spare but that spare time was dwindling awfully fast. Who knew teenagers could be so disorganized and slow, even on the day they had been waiting two months for.

"Hurry up! Let's go!" He pushed a yawning Noro onto the bus, nearly kicked the other teen to get him in faster. "Get the lead out now!"

Noro paused on the bus steps. "What does that expression even mean anyway, Captain?" he asked guilelessly, scratching his cheek. "Get the lead out?"

"It means hurry the hell up!" Seijuro pushed him forcefully further into the bus. Thank god the majority of the members would be departing later on a separate bus. With how much time it was taking for just the swimmers to get on they would have made it there tomorrow if all of Samezuka had been there at once.

Quickly he counted those in attendance. One short. They were one short. Who in God's name were they missing? It took him a moment then he realized a certain shark-toothed bad tempered red head was missing. "Nitori!" he shouted towards the small freshman. "Where's Matsuoka?!"

Nitori had the decency to at least look bashful at the lack of appearance of his senpai. "He'll be joining us later." He swallowed. "He said he'd take a taxi."

"A taxi?" Seijuro could feel his eyebrow developing a tick. " _Why_ is he taking a taxi?"

"He went to pay respects to his father."

"His father?" Seijuro's forehead creased. "What do you mean his father? How could he possibly pay respects to him _here_?" Why would he _need_ to pay respects to him?

There was a tick of silence. "The ocean," Nitori said quietly.

Seijuro paused. _The ocean? Did that mean…_ Gou had never mentioned her father before. Her mother yes, on several different occasions in fact, but never her father. _Could that be because…_

He grit his teeth. That would have to wait until later. He couldn't let himself get distracted now, not with the competition so paramount. Winning was what was more important. He had stay focused.

"Well, hopefully he makes it in time. Hurry up and get on. We have to go."

"Yes, captain!"

As they clambered onto the bus, Seijuro tightened his hand into a fist. Matsuoka was in one of the first events and while he was sure Matsuoka had his reasons for...whatever it was going on with him, he just hoped he didn't make his teammates pay for it.

* * *

The stands were emptier than Gou would have expected by the time her and Amakata got to the stadium. The seats were nowhere close to being full and the two of them were easily able to snag a place at the front with a great view of the swimmers. It appeared the locals weren't interested too much in the swimming events, for the majority of people in the stands looked to be coaches, other swimmers, and escorts that had come with their teams. Gou even recognized one of the German boys from their training camp across the way from her.

Speaking of coaches, Goro was currently absent. He had claimed he had an errand to run before the competition, although what errand could possibly be more important than this Gou didn't know. No amount of scolding and protesting had been able to sway him, and he had only insisted he would be there on time and wouldn't miss anything. Time sure was ticking though. _He had better show up._

She glanced at her watch. The boys had departed for the stadium earlier than Gou and Amakata had. All four had wanted to check out the pool before their events and they had needed to check in besides. They should be coming up to the stands anytime now. She had texted Makoto shortly before letting him know where they were situated.

She gazed at the ample supply of muscles existing by the pool. _So many muscles_. No matter where she looked there was inevitably some fine muscles to gaze at. All these swimmers together in one place standing around in their swimming jammers with their torsos shamelessly exposed and their legs…She shook her head to dispel her trance like state of muscle admiration. She needed to concentrate. Now wasn't the time to be ogling. Despite how much there was available to ogle.

She opened the program pamphlet she had been given to distract herself. The first event of the day was the 100m free followed by the 200m one. The 100m free was the event Haru had entered and as she scanned the listings she found his name. And right next to his was none other than her brother's.

_They're going to be in neighboring lanes._ She grimaced. That could be either good or bad. Being so close to each other might motivate them or it might distract them. _Hopefully the former._

"Gou-chan!"

She looked up to see the boys at the entrance to the stands. She waved them over and showed them the pamphlet once they reached her. "This is the program for the day. They're starting with free in the morning, followed by backstroke, breaststroke, and then butterfly."

It didn't take long at all for Nagisa to pinpoint the exact same thing Gou had noticed only moments before. "Haru-chan and Rin-chan are in neighboring lanes."

Gou didn't respond to this.

"The heats were drawn based on qualifying times, right?" asked Makoto.

"That's right."

Most noticeably perhaps was that Haru made no reaction to this. He simply stared forward in his seat.

"The top eight from each event will advance to the second and final round a month from now," Gou went on. "All others that don't make it will end here."

Rei stiffened at the news, as if believing himself to be the weak link, and that prompted Amakata to provide a quote from Napoleon that didn't make much sense in an effort to cheer them up. In a way it worked regardless of its lack of correct context. The three boys laughed as Gou attempted to explain to Amakata how her quote didn't apply, and Makoto ushered some reassuring words that had the three, outside of Haru, cheering in seconds. So at least they were motivated instead of nerve wracked.

Well, Haru was being deathly silent and there were some dark circles under Rei's eyes that hadn't been there yesterday. _Did Nagisa kept him up or did Rei kept himself up?_ Some mystery's were better left unsolved.

As they waited for the events to start, Gou took the time to point out some of the more notable swimmers they would be competing against, including one of the Germans who had participated in their training camp. "Alois Bader is his name. Supposedly Bader means bath."

"That's not a very cool nickname," muttered Nagisa.

"You won't be saying that if he beats you," countered Gou. "He has an incredible vertical. You should be careful."

"How did you collect all this data?" That kind of question _would_ come from Rei.

"I'm the manager, aren't I?" She displayed her notebook with its many notes and drawings. "It's my job to gather that sort of information."

She didn't mention Seijuro had been the one who had provided her with a lot of it. Nagisa and Rei would only make comments about how well her marriage was going and she didn't want to add any more fodder to that fire.

"You even have notes on their muscles." Rei's eyelids were lowered to half mast.

"Of course! Muscles are important too, you know!" She pressed her lips together, gaze wandering back to the pool area with its multitude of half naked male bodies, hands tightening around the pages of the notebook. "But…there are some things that simply can't be adequately expressed through notes…"

"Eh?" said Rei.

Gou flung herself at the railing, notebook almost getting dangerously crushed in the crook of her elbow. "Muscles are best seen in the flesh!" Her voice had risen several octaves. "All of these muscles simultaneously in one place! Deltoids, triceps, biceps, rectus abdominis! Wonderful! Marvelous!"

"She's getting more creative in her muscle choices."

Gou fanned herself with her notebook in an effort to calm down. She was sweating worse than a sinner in church but she couldn't help herself. All those glistening silky muscles in one place…It was criminal!

"Heeeeeeey, Gou-kun!"

She paused at the sudden sounding of her name. She recognized that voice and down below by the pool she instantly spotted him by his hair color and height. Seijuro stood there with a smile on his face the likes of which she didn't think even she had seen before, his arm in the air as he waved enthusiastically, shouting her name without a care in the world.

For a moment she choked and almost yelled 'what the hell are you doing' down at him. If her brother saw him acting like that than the least of their worries would be losing their races. But then again Seijuro knew better then to act so carelessly when her brother was nearby. For him to act so insouciant that must mean Rin was not in the immediate vicinity.

She could feel her face heating up as he continued waving and shouting 'over here' again and again when she didn't react to his initial calling of her name, remembering what she had done before departing this morning. She tried to look anywhere but at him, embarrassed heat racing up her skin. "I told him not to call me Gou-kun," she grumbled under her breath. She debated throwing her notebook at him but then she would lose all the pictures of pretty muscles she had drawn. A shoe might suffice better but then she'd only have one shoe…

"Sei-chan looks awfully happy today," observed Nagisa.

Gou stiffened.

"Yes, you're right," Rei agreed thoughtfully. "Happier than usual it seems."

Gou turned away to hide her grimacing face.

"He must be really excited about the competition," commented Makoto and Gou could have kissed his feet. Trust in sturdy dependable Makoto to think up a likely excuse.

Vaguely out of the corner of her eye she saw Haru rise to his feet and look down to the pool area, showing interest in the swimmers below for the first time since coming to the stands.

"I don't see Rin," Makoto commented quietly. At those words Haru looked at him and Makoto held up his watch. "He might have already headed over to the assembly area," the tall boy suggested.

Gou glanced discreetly at them out of the corner of her eye but Haru was already walking off, having taken Makoto's suggestion apparently, and Makoto's back faced her as he stared after the dark haired teen. "Win your race, Haru."

Gou's hands tightened around her notebook for an entirely different reason this time. Hopefully today's race would do just that and the two would be able to settle whatever score they seemed to be having. _No matter who wins, I just want them both to be happy._

They watched the first three heats for the 100m free. Some of the swimmers were quite impressive and it wasn't just their muscles. Haru was going to have some stiff competition, especially in the final competition a month from now. Of his succeeding through this round of competition there was almost no doubt in Gou's mind. Haru was the best swimmer Iwatobi had and blessed with overwhelming talent besides. He had to place. If he didn't it would be a severe blow to the morale of the other three, not to mention worrisome if their best couldn't succeed.

"Haru-chan and Rin-chan are up next!" Nagisa leaned over the rail and pointed across the side of the pool to where the eight swimmers in the fourth heat were approaching. Haru and Rin were smack dab in the center and their faces were grim as they moved to get in position for the third heat to end. Gou clasped her hands tightly together.

"Who are you cheering for, Gou-chan?" asked Amakata.

"Both of them!" Gou answered right away. "Both of them!"

The boys moved onto their blocks and as they stood there waiting for the referee's calls it felt like some of the longest seconds in Gou's life. She held her breath, hands tightening around themselves as the referee called out and the boys lowered their bodies to prepare for the dive. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, waiting tensely for the call to be given.

"Go!"

The boys dove into the water like a whip crack. Around them in the stands people started yelling, encouraging their comrades, and Gou's knuckles were white as she grasped the metal railing. Next to her the boys were tense with baited breath, eyes wide as they watched the swimmers below.

"They're fast," said Rei and Gou didn't have to ask to know who 'they' was.

"Rin-chan's gotten a lot faster!" Nagisa echoed. "He's pulling ahead of Haru-chan!"

Out of the corner of her eye Gou saw Makoto move as if jerking upright. "Haru's failing behind in the first leg?"

Even Gou, who was much less knowledgeable of swimming tactics, could tell there was an unusually large gap forming between the two. The distance between them was greater than Gou would ever have expected and her brother was nearly schooling Haru. Had Haru underestimated her brother and therefore not anticipated this sort of challenge? Or was it something else that was holding Haru back?

"They're entering the turn!" said Rei.

Rin got to the wall first. He pushed off and the two swimmers flashed by each other. In that brief millisecond of crossing Rin must have done something too for quickly afterwards…

"Haru-chan's catching up!"

The gap between them was shortening once Haru had done his turn and swiftly too. If Haru managed to push through at the very end…

Makoto suddenly sucked in a breath. He shouted. "Haru!"

Rei was quick to join him. "Haruka-senpai!"

Gou's throat was too tight to speak much less shout. The two were neck and neck now. It was anybodies call and as the two boys raced to the end in a spinning whirl of extended limbs and thrashing feet, they touched the wall, the buzzer announcing their finish, and it was too close for Gou to determine on eyesight alone. She looked up to the big scoreboard where Haru and Rin's names sat side by side in big glowing letters. The numbers one and two flashed beside those names.

"Haru…lost?" For being such a large individual Makoto's voice was surprisingly small.

Gou swallowed, coaxing some moisture into her dry tight throat. "And." When she spoke it almost felt like someone else was and she barely recognized her own voice. "He didn't advance."

The sounds of cheering drew her attention back down to the water. To say Rin was not enjoying his success would have been an utter lie. He was shouting loudly, utterly caught up in his triumph and he smacked his arms into the water several times. Above him Samezuka chanted out his name.

The lane next to his was a sharp contrast to Rin's cheering. _Haru hasn't even gotten out of the water yet._ The teen hadn't moved from his spot since finishing and he made no reaction whatsoever to Rin's revelry. He might as well have been a statue if not for his heavy breathing.

Gou bit her lip. Was Haru upset about losing? He always claimed he didn't care about that sort of thing. But still…surely it couldn't feel good to lose so closely and to have your rival rub it in your face not even a foot from you.

Rin climbed out of the water. He paused at the edge of the pool and from his superior height he spoke to Haru though what he said Gou had no way of knowing. Then Rin smiled.

He smiled. For the first time in a long time Gou saw Rin smile.

But this was…this was all wrong. It was not the smile Gou had seen on him when he was younger, the smile he used to give whenever he threw his arm across Haru's shoulders, jubilant and unfettered. This new smile looked all wrong on his face, all sharp edges and glinting severity, like a razor opening. It didn't look like him at all.

She sat heavily back down in her seat. Her hand tightened in her lap. This wasn't right. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. This race between him and Haru was supposed to bring back the person her brother had used to be.

But instead it had only seemed to make him worse.

* * *

The atmosphere was a somber and quiet one after that. The next few heats for the 100m free went by and then it transgressed into the 200m free event. Everyone watched without seeing, gazes on the events but not truly observing it, and no one spoke, perhaps too shell shocked from what had occurred in Haru's race. They might have stayed that way indefinitely except Goro finally showed up.

"Sorry for being late!" the coach greeted them as he walked up wearing one of the ugliest shirts Gou had seen in her entire life. The bright colors were nearly blinding and it looked like he was on some tropical holiday rather than coming to a swimming event. Gou was fairly certain he had to have one of the worst fashion senses in the history of mankind.

"Where were you?!" Nagisa demanded, standing up to better scold the coach. "You're late, Goro-chan!"

"Sorry, sorry, I had something I absolutely had to take care of that couldn't wait." He rubbed the back of his head and glanced down at Amakata. For some inexplicable reason there was a hint of a blush on his face.

"What could be more important than the race?!"

"T-that's private! Don't worry about it! Young people wouldn't understand!"

What the heck did that mean? The red on his face only seemed to be getting worse as he continued talking too and now it looked like he might be sweating a bit.

"Haruka-senpai already swam in his event," broke in Rei before the two managed to get anymore distracted.

"Oh he did? Damn, I did miss it." Goro rubbed his forehead with a hand. "Those reservations too way too long to make." He scowled.

"Reservations?" murmured Makoto.

"Oh well, I'll be able to still watch him in the final round." Goro shrugged, recovering quickly from his disappointment. "That's what's most important anyway."

There was a moment of silence. No one wanted to delivered the news, and it was Makoto, perhaps feeling like it was his place being the captain, who finally did so. "Haru…won't be in the final round."

"Huh?"

"He didn't make it pass the first round."

Goro's mouth fell open. "He _lost_?!"

There was no response forthcoming but everyone's faces were answer enough, and Amakata pulled the coach down beside her to quietly explain in better detail what had occurred. Gou wouldn't have believed it either if she hadn't actually seen it. Haru had been their best bet in moving forward. For him to lose…

Next to her Gou overheard Goro saying to the teacher, "Amakata-san, uh, what do you happen to be doing later this evening?"

"Eh?" said Amakata.

"Don't come here just to hit on girls!" Nagisa yelled over.

"I'm not!" Goro's face was red again.

At least the coach's impromptu entrance and continued arguing with Nagisa was providing a good distraction. It had managed to pull the boys out of some of their funk. Enough for them to begin paying more attention to the current events going on rather than just staring into space anyway.

The 200m free was still going on and as Gou watched one of the swimmers was so far ahead of the others it couldn't really be called a competition. She narrowed her eyes. She hadn't been paying attention when the swimmers had started out but that swimmer looked awfully familiar. He touched the wall and above their heads the loud speakers crackled into life. "Mr. Mikoshiba in lane 4 has set a new tournament record," came the announcement and Gou leaned back in her seat. So she had been right.

Well, that would make Seijuro happy. Winning was what was most important. Just like he had said.

"Jeez." Goro snickered. "I knew he was good but not that good. That _is_ impressive."

Down below Seijuro was cheering and smiling like he had just been told he had won the five thousand dollars right there. And he likely already felt the money was in the bag. Considering his huge win it wasn't that far of a stretch to believe so.

"Sei-chan sure did well," commented Nagisa. He turned Gou's way. "Don't you think so, Gou-chan?"

"Huh?" Gou blinked at being addressed. "O-oh yes." She tried to smile but she couldn't really muster the effort. As much as she knew she should be paying more attention, especially since it was Seijuro, she couldn't bring herself to do so. Her brain was stuck in a rut with what had happened earlier and that smile on her brother's face. That hadn't been what she had wanted at all.

Her despondent attitude didn't seem to be going unnoticed either, as Makoto and Nagisa glanced at each other and Rei checked his watch. "Something wrong?" asked Makoto.

"Haruka-senpai sure is taking a long time."

"A-ah." The way Makoto said this it sounded like he had already noticed this.

"He's probably taking a shower," said Nagisa.

"He's taking a long time though." Rei looked at his watch again and while it was true Haru normally did take obscenely long showers Rei didn't appear satisfied leaving the situation as it was. Maybe because he was outside of the circle that knew what was going on between Haru and Rin. Maybe that was what made him act faster than the others did. He rose to his feet. "I'll go check on him."

"Wa-wait, Rei!" Makoto called but Rei didn't stop and Gou watched with a touch of surprise as the three boys raced up the stairs, Makoto going after Rei, Nagisa going after the both of them, and Rei ignoring any of Makoto's calls to wait up. Rei was on a mission and wasn't about to let anyone stop him from finding their missing teammate. Under different circumstances she would have found it cute. As it was it was only making her more depressed.

She turned back to staring at the pavement between her shoes. A soft weigh settled on her shoulder. Amakata's hand.

"Don't dwell on it," the teacher said encouragingly. "That's how sports are."

"That's not it." Gou pressed her lips together. "I wanted to watch my brother and Haruka-senpai swim together. But…that wasn't what I was expecting." _Or wanted._ No matter how she tried she couldn't get her mind off it or get herself out of her gloom. Everything seemed so pointless all of a sudden.

"What are you acting so down in the dumps for?" Goro's loud voice made her raise her head. The coach was very nearly glaring at her, like he didn't understand at all why she would have any reason to be upset. "Just because Haru lost doesn't mean we're out yet! There are three others that haven't even swam yet! Don't act like we've lost already!"

Of course Goro wouldn't realize having not actually seen the race between Haru and her brother. He must think she was upset about the fact Haru had lost. "T-that's not-"

"You need to be more optimistic!" Goro carried on. "Those three boys practiced hard to get where they are! Now is the time we need to be cheering them on, not moping! You can't be downhearted and give up just because one person didn't make it! What kind of manager gives up on her team before they even compete?"

Gou lowered her eyelids in a glare of her own at the dig. Okay so Goro had no idea what he was talking about when it came to Haru's loss but he did have a good point. Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei still had their own races to do. It wasn't fair to continue acting dejected when they had tried just as hard if not harder than Haru to be where they were now. If she wasn't hopeful it would only drag them down as well and then there would be no point in them being here. In that case they might as well pack up and go home.

_No way._ Gou hardened her resolve. They weren't out of this yet. Haru losing was certainly a devastating blow considering he was the best swimmer they had, but those three still had a chance and so long as one of them placed they had a chance. Iwatobi needed any accomplishments they could get and they needed that money if they planned to become a successful swim team. She couldn't give up just because of her brother. Whatever was going on with him she would deal with later. Right now she had to focus on what was most important.

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. "Okay," she said. "I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" Goro demanded.

"I'm ready to cheer!"

"That's better!" Goro smiled at her and Gou realized how lucky they were that Goro had agreed to come along on this trip with them. The guy could be a real pill sometimes, especially when it came to his unhealthy obsession in eating nothing but pizza, but his personality provided exuberance and his vigor spurred the boys to not only do better but to become excited about doing better. He provided the enthusiasm they needed to cheer on their comrades despite how grim the situation might be.

By the look on Amakata's face she was a little more than captivated by that too.

Gou eyed the two of them warily. If they started making out like a pair of hot blooded teens she was going to find a different seat, cheering be damned. Lines had to be drawn somewhere.

Taking another deep breath she faced forward and readied herself to cheer for her comrades, like they needed her to.

They could get through this. There was no way it could end here. Not after everything they had put into it.

Surely they would be able to succeed.

* * *

Losses.

All of them.

Every single one a loss.

Makoto's backstroke. Nagisa's breaststroke. Rei's butterfly. All losses.

Across the screen Gou watched Rei's time populate. She didn't need to see that to know he hadn't placed. He had done well, very well, had even set a new personal record for himself, but he had come in last in the heat he was in.

Just like the others he too had been beaten.

Despite their best efforts not a single one of them had progressed. None of the four had gotten past the first round. They had lost.

Gou looked down into her lap where her hand lay limply against her thigh. This was really it. This was where it ended. Here, at the first round, with all their efforts and time and desires amounting to nothing, everything they had worked for snuffed out so quietly and thoroughly, so indefinitely. Everything amounting to nothing.

And her brother's jagged, salt water, rip current ruthless smile.

Gou tightened her hand into fist. No way. Not while she was manager was she going to let that happen. She wasn't going to let it end here.

She stood, hands fisted at her sides. She looked towards the exit for the stands.

"Gou-chan?" Amakata called after her.

"Bathroom," Gou said curtly over her shoulder. She didn't want to explain. Not yet. Amakata might try and stop her. She would tell her afterwards, when the teacher would be unable to stop it. It might be cruel but it was necessary.

With a bit of confusion she navigated the halls of the stadium, struggling to decipher the signs posted in several different languages but not Japanese. It took her a bit but she finally found what she was seeking.

Thankfully there was still someone there and the clerk was a little startled at seeing her. It was awfully late for this sort of thing to be occurring. "Can I help you?"

"Yes." Gou took a deep breath. The boys might be mad at her for doing this without having asked them first and there was no guarantee they would agree to it, especially Haru, but what choice did she have? If she didn't do this then it would all be over. She wasn't ready for that to happen.

"I would like to enter the Iwatobi swim team into the medley relay please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is admittedly long and boring but it was super essential to the plot so thankfully its done!
> 
> UMmm so I hecked up with Momotarou. When I wrote the past chapters where Seijuro talked about his siblings only the younger sister had been mentioned so that's what I had gone with. Eventually I have plans to go back and edit these parts to include Momotarou (I think there's only like two or three places) in order to stay more true to canon but nothing should require a reread as it doesn't change the story much at all.


	23. Defeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to be working on my resume but I worked on this instead. Clearly I have my priorities straight.

It was getting late.

Seijuro rubbed his hand over his face, blinking his eyes rapidly. Despite his best efforts he was starting to get tired. Even the couch was looking incredibly inviting and it was taking all his will power to not lay down. If he lay down he would fall asleep.

He glanced at the clock for the third time in fifteen minutes. He had texted Gou about thirty minutes ago but she had responded she was still at Iwatobi, although she had given no indication she was planning on staying there like she normally did when she didn’t come back home. So Seijuro could only assume she still planned on coming back to the house and so he waited.

And if she was still at Iwatobi that must mean they were still looking for Haru…

They had been looking for him ever since the end of the competition. At least that’s what Gou’s texts had indicated. What exactly was going on Seijuro wasn’t entirely privy too, only that Iwatobi was looking for the teen and that he was ‘sort of’ missing according to Gou. The situation was more puzzling than concerning. Had Haru been that upset about losing to Matsuoka that he had wandered off? Seijuro wouldn’t have pegged him as that sort of type.

Thinking about that race made him think of Matsuoka. The boy had been awfully quiet during dinner when Seijuro had treated his swimmers as a reward. The red head had only spoke when someone else, typically Nitori, addressed him. His responses had been notably short, even when others had congratulated him on his win and for some unexplainable reason he would twitch whenever they did so. It was a sharp contrast to his initial reaction when he had first won his race, when he had practically thrown himself a mini celebration. Had something happened between then and when they had left the pool to so drastically change his mood?

It made Seijuro think about what Nitori had said earlier. About Matsouka’s father. Had something bad happened? Something to do with the ocean? Well, according to Nitori at least something had, which sort of explained Matsouka’s reaction after he had found out about that boat incident concerning his sister. If he had somehow lost his father to the ocean than the thought that he had come close to losing his sister to it as well would make anyone lose their head. And maybe that was why Matsuoka had bowed so deeply to him in thanks for saving Gou.

He wished Gou had said something earlier. It was understandably not something you just told anyone but he wished she felt comfortable enough to share that sort of thing with him. They were married after all.

_Not really married,_ he reminded himself. And he hadn’t told her everything about his family either…

A scream sounded from the TV and he looked dully over at it. He had put in one of those horror movies he had rented to pass the time but without Gou here it wasn’t nearly as fun. All the screaming was annoying rather than entertaining, and he couldn’t muster the energy to be even remotely annoyed at the stupid decisions the characters in the movie were making. He turned it off and leaned his head back to stare up at the blank ceiling.

He really should go to bed. It would help clear his head but he didn’t want to go to sleep without seeing Gou either. To make sure everything was okay with Nanase if nothing else.

He sighed. At least he didn’t have a race to compete in nor practice tomorrow so he could stay up. Tomorrow was the second day of the competition, consisting of the individual medley and the relay. He would be going but only to watch, to make sure his swim team advanced. He knew they would. The relay team consisted of some of the absolute best Samezuka had to offer. There was no conceivable way he could see them losing.

As if the heavens had finally heard his wish, the door suddenly opened. Seijuro sat up like like an eager puppy whose master had finally returned. “Hey!” _Too much, too much, need to tone it down some._ “I mean, ha-hey.” _Why did I say ‘I mean’?! Idiot!_

“Hey,” Gou returned the greeting listlessly. By the sounds of it she was dragging her feet and one look at her face indicated things had not gone well.

“Did you not find Nanase-kun?”

She sat down next to him with a shake of her head. “No, we’re not sure where he went. We waited at the lodge but he didn’t show up.” She leaned down to untie her shoes.

“Where could he have gone?”

Gou shrugged as she kicked off her sneakers. “With Haruka-senpai there’s no telling, especially in this country. Makoto wasn’t even sure where to look and he’d know better than anybody.”

“Did you try calling him?”

“We did but he left his phone at the lodge. He hardly ever carries it around with him apparently.” She frowned. “I don’t know how someone in this day and age cannot carry a phone around with them. When I don’t have mine I feel like I’m naked.”

_Naked?_ Seijuro raised his eyebrow. His thoughts were becoming way too focused on that last part and he shook his head to try and get back on track. “W-what were you trying to find him for?” He coughed a little on the words.

Gou stared down at her sock covered feet. “I entered them into the relay,” she said quietly.

Seijuro raised his eyebrow for an entirely different reason this time. The relay? None of the Iwatobi members had mentioned the relay at all to him. He had figured it was a race they simply weren’t interested in and for a brand new swim team that wasn’t all that unusual. There was a lot more that went into a relay than an individual race. A lot more people would be disappointed if a relay failed.

“But they haven’t practiced for it at all, have they?”

“I know, I know. They never intended to participate in the relay but I was…desperate. We lost all our other races. I didn’t want to let it end like that.” She bit her lip.“I entered them without telling them.”

“You entered them into the relay without telling them?” Now both eyebrows shot up into his hair line.

“Y-yeah.”

For a long second Seijuro wasn’t sure how to react. Gou was more devious than he had thought. Or just really, really desperate. He knew how much Iwatobi had wanted to win, _needed_ to win, and he had been disappointed to hear none of them had progressed.

But that was just how racing was. The fastest swimmer wins. That’s all.

“What happened when you told them?”

“Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei all agreed to it.” Her eyebrows lowered. “Haruka-senpai though…”

Seijuro looked over to the clock. It wasn’t that many hours until the competition but maybe Nanase-kun would come through if they managed to locate him. It was hard to tell with a boy like Nanase. But if he had participated in that relay in elementary school then why wouldn’t he now?

“I’m sure he’ll come around,” he tried to speak encouragingly. “He has no reason not to swim in the relay, right?”

Gou’s mouth twitched, like she didn’t think that was true. Or more accurately _knew_ it wasn’t. She curled herself around his pillow. “I hope so,” she said. “But I doubt it.”

 

-

 

Seijuro was awoken by the sound of Gou’s phone going off the next morning. Gou sometimes got texts early but those were short sounds that only pulled him from slumber for a brief half second if at all. But today her phone was ringing. Incessantly.

He groaned and flipped over onto his stomach. It was too early for phones to be going off. Who in God’s name would be calling this early?

From the other room he heard some moving and Gou’s sleepy scratched voice answering the phone. “Hello?” There was a brief moment of silence. “He did what?!” There was the sound of the springs of the bed and in his mind’s eye Seijuro could picture Gou propelling herself to a sitting position. “He did?!” Another moment of silence. “That’s great! I’ll get up right away! I’ll be there in fifteen!”

There was a bit of clatter from the other room, then hurried footsteps and suddenly a vigorous shaking between his shoulder blades. “Haru agreed to the relay! Haru agreed to the relay!” In her excitement it seemed she had forgotten to add the honorific to Nanase’s name and had also failed to notice their close proximity to each other. She was practically leaning halfway onto him.

“W-what?” Seijuro’s brain was still struggling to wake up fully and was presently getting a little distracted by the feel of her palms against his skin. He was glad he was lying on his stomach. Mornings could be…a little hard sometimes.

“We’re going to be in the relay!” Gou gave him one more shake then straightened. “Haruka-senpai agreed to it last night!”

“O-oh, good!” He shifted a bit to take some pressure off a…certain something but was mindful to not change positions. If she saw _that_ it would be mortifying. She might run screaming and then Seiuro’s ego would never recover. “I knew he’d come around.”

Gou beamed a smile. She clapped her hands together. “I’m going to go get ready!”

She headed back into the bedroom and Seijuro exhaled a sigh of relief. He flipped onto his back and straightened out his clothing so things would look less obvious if Gou walked back in. He rubbed a hand against his forehead.

_Iwatobi in the relay, huh?_ He hadn’t expected them to actually enter. Not at such short notice and not with the way it had come about. But Haru had changed his mind for whatever reason apparently.

That amazing relay Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa had swam with Rin in elementary school he could still remember quite vividly, although Iwatobi were not the swimmers they had once been. He had seen that for himself watching their events yesterday and furthermore they hadn’t practiced for the relay at all.

It was unlikely they would place.

Still, regardless of his thoughts, Seijuro couldn’t shake the sudden uneasy feeling he had gotten.

 

-

 

He watched from the stands rather than going below to the side of the pool. Below was generally reserved for swimmers competing that day and the stands presented a much better view besides. Not that it had anything to do with the fact Gou stood in the stands directly across the way from him with Amakata and Sasabe. Not at all.

“The relay is coming up,” said Nakagawa. The swimmers were gathering at their spots and Seijuro was slightly surprised to see in the lane next to Samezuka was none other than – “Iwatobi?” Nakagawa stared at the screen. “Isn’t that the school that’s been paired with us for all those hosted events? I didn’t know they were in the relay.”

Seijuro didn’t respond. If he said too much Nakagawa might become suspicious, especially if he caught on to Seijuro being privy to Iwatobi’s inner workings. Sometimes omitting information was best.

“Well, hopefully they don’t get killed too bad. Their times weren’t so good in the individual races yesterday. I’m amazed they’re even trying for the relay.” Nakagawa stretched his arms over his head. “There are a lot of really strong teams participating. Not that I have any doubt in our placing.”

Neither did Seijuro. They would undoubtedly progress.

A movement down below caught his attention and he spotted a familiar red head by the pool. Despite not having a race today Matsuoka had not joined the rest of his team in the stands to cheer on his comrades and had instead remained down below near the locker rooms. Seijuro didn’t like such a lack of camaraderie but he had let it slide. He might have chocked up such behavior to the boy simply being a loner but his intense interest in the Iwatobi swim team seemed to belie that notion. He was staring at their relay team like they were a dream he had once had and was only now starting to recall.

The bell sounded off and Seijuro raised his gaze back to the main event. The backstroke swimmers had started out the relay and as they came out of the turn, the one in Iwatobi’s lane pulled ahead.

“Makoto Tachibana,” Nakagawa read aloud from the pamphlet for today’s program. “That’s Iwatobi’s captain, isn’t it? He’s pretty good.”

That he was. His stroke was rough but somehow it seemed to suit the tall boy. He had even managed to pull ahead of Samezuka and Seijuro watched with a strange sort of anxiety as Nagisa entered the water before Samezuka’s swimmer did.

“The little guy isn’t so bad either,” commented Nakagawa after a moment. “He’s the one who’s always loud, right? He dropped that pizza on the head of that tall guy with glasses during that cooking lesson if I remember correctly. What’s his name?”

“Nagisa,” Seijuro responded automatically. His attention was on the race and he didn’t realize he had given Nagisa’s first name rather than his last. Iwatobi had lost some of their lead at the start of the breaststoke lap but Nagisa managed to gain it back right before the end. Once again Iwatobi entered the water before any of the other teams.

Beside him Nakagawa had become morbidly quiet. The other boy’s hand had tightened slightly on the pamphlet.

But this, Seijuro knew, was where things would get tough for Iwatobi. Despite Rei’s higher than average physical condition and his stupendous drive, he was still a new swimmer. For someone who had only been swimming for a few months versus someone who had been doing it for years, it was no big surprise they would fall behind. Slowly but surely Seijuro watched as Rei slid back, passing into fifth place, and Iwatobi lost its grasp on the lead.

“Their butterfly swimmer isn’t so great, is he?” said Nakagawa.

Seijuro’s arm twitched. “Don’t be so negative,” he admonished. “He hasn’t been swimming long.”

Why Seijuro felt the need to defend the other swimmer was a mystery even to himself. Maybe it was because of his involvement with Rei’s education in the other boy’s quest to improve his swimming capabilities in whatever way possible. Or maybe it was because he knew how hard Rei tried so he wouldn’t be the weak one on the team. For Rei to have gone so far as to ask him, the captain of a competing swim team, for help was pretty admirable. Seijuro couldn’t think of many in Samezuka who would go that far and for that Rei deserved a lot of respect.

Even if he does take golf way, way too seriously.

The race wasn’t over yet though and Seijuro’s muscles tensed as the free swimmers prepared to dive in. Iwatobi was still behind but Nanase was up now.

_Fifth place._ That was a lot of distance to cover. If their places had been reversed Seijuro would have already been swallowing defeat. To recover from being in fifth place was a slim chance to none.

His hands tightened on his forearms. Fourth place, third place. Nanase was speeding by the competition like the other swimmers were simply out for a leisurely summer swim.

Seijuro held his breath. _Incredible._ Nanase had caught up to Samezuka, closing the gap almost like it was nothing. The two were neck and neck and the finish was growing closer.

“You have got to be kidding me,” muttered Nakagawa.

Around them the seats had erupted into cheers and shouting, and across the way Seijuro could faintly hearing the excited screaming of a certain red haired girl and her teacher.

When the finish came it was too close for him to tell and he glanced at the large board.

The number one appeared.

But it was not next to Samezuka’s name that it flashed. It was Iwatobi’s.

We lost.

“I can’t believe it.” Nakagawa words were so low Seijuro barely heard them and his vice captain was still staring at the huge board with its declaration of placements as if they were in a foreign language he was having a hard time understanding.

Seijuro sat back in his seat, having not realized when he had started leaning forward. A feral grin curved his mouth.

This was the amazing swimmer Nanase was. Not the one from yesterday. That one had been impressive but nothing special. The way he swam today proved he was still the incredible swimmer who had beaten Seijuro all those years ago. The one who had taught him that golden rule he governed all his swimming by.

The fastest swimmer always wins.

“Well.” Nakagawa shifted. “We’ve still placed in the top eight regardless so we’re still in the running anyway. What an incredible finish. I still can’t believe it.” He glanced over at Seijuro. “What’s that look about?”

Seijuro almost couldn’t suppress his chuckle. “Nothing in particular.”

In the stands across from him Gou was screaming in celebration along with Amakata and Sasabe. In fact the coach and teacher were hugging each other.

Iwatobi had beaten them.

Seijuro’s grin widened. “I just have a feeling this competition has become a lot more interesting.”

 

-

 

He was delayed getting home that night. After the competition there were things that had to be gone over. Namely the relay after their stupendous loss.

“If we lost in the first round, there’s a good chance we’ll lose in the second too.” Nakagawa’s eyebrows were pinched in that way of his when he was thinking too hard, but that was one of the things Seijuro liked about him. Nakagawa would overanalyze and over think things for the both of them combined, and Seijuro would balance it back out with his easygoing demeanor and kept things steady. If Nakagawa became captain, he would likely give himself a nervous breakdown within the first three weeks.

“It might be best to look over new candidates to place into there,” Nakagawa finished and Seijuro knew he had a good point. If those in the relay had lost today then replacements may have to be made. They may not be happy about getting bumped but when it came to competing personal feelings had to be set aside when necessary.

Even after spending all that time around the Iwatobi boys Seijuro had been taken by surprise by their phenomenal win today. They had proven themselves to be a real dark horse; a force to be reckoned with and while Seijuro had faith in his swimmers, if they weren’t careful they’d get swallowed up again.

Those who he placed into the relay for the final round would have to be those who were in their best condition. Nothing less would do if they wanted to win.

And Seijuro did. Badly. Winning was what was most important after all.

Not that that meant he couldn’t give regards where it was warranted however. Winning may be what was most important but Seijuro wasn’t a sore loser either. If someone else won it was simply because that swimmer was faster. That’s all.

“Congratulations on your win!” It was the first time he had spoken to Gou since this morning and the first time he had seen her since this competition. He was glad to find her home.

“Thanks!” Gou’s voice came oddly from the bathroom and Seijuro approached to see she had left the door ajar and was presently getting ready.

“Are you going out with Iwatobi?”

She shook her head. She aimed a scowl at the mirror as she messed up her eyeliner. “Goro and Ama-chan can’t afford it; they went out yesterday for a…celebratory dinner.” She laughed in an uncomfortable way. “They didn’t expect us to lose and then Goro couldn’t cancel the reservations. Haruka-senpai disappeared after the competition anyway. The others wouldn’t want to go out celebrating without him.”

“Oh.” That was too bad. Iwatobi should be wallowing in their win, not sweeping it in under the rug.

But then suddenly that gave Seijuro an idea. If Iwatobi wasn’t going out then…then _he_ could invite Gou to dinner! To celebrate their win!

_Their win over us._ Jeez that sounded bad.

But it was a perfect opportunity! He couldn’t miss it, even if he was practically rubbing his own face in his swim team’s untimely defeat. The dinner could be sort of like a date but not! He could cover for himself if need be. ‘This isn’t a date, it’s a celebration!’ Yes it was perfect!

“W-what are you doing later tonight then?!” Seijuro’s voice was way too loud. It echoed in the small bathroom and he coughed into his fist.

Gou turned away from the mirror. Her purse was in her hands and a smile beamed across her face. “I’m going to dinner with Hana-chan to celebrate!”

Seijuro felt his excitement wilt like a dying plant. “…O-oh.” _Damnit!_ His brilliant idea had been snuffed out before he had even gotten a chance! He made up a few more colorful curses in his head. “W-well, tell her I said hi then!”

“I will!” She waved to him as she went out the door.

Seijuro waited until the door was fully closed. “Damnit!” he cursed at the empty house.

It seemed like no matter what he did he just couldn’t win at anything today after all.

 

-

 

“Congratulations on your win!”

“Thanks!” Gou slid into the seat across from Hana with a tired sigh. It had been a long day. A very, very good day, but after staying up late and getting up early and now that the excitement from their success was fading Gou was finding herself rather exhausted. A nice quiet dinner with just Hana and then home would be a great way to end the day.

Home. Odd to think of it like that. She kind of hoped Seijuro would still be awake when she got back. Maybe they could watch one of those awful horror movies before she went to sleep. Now _that_ would be the perfect ending to an already perfect day.

“I can’t believe how well you guys did!” Hana gushed. “Especially considering you guys are a new swim team! I wish I had been there to see it!”

“Well, you better come to the final round! That’s the one that’s most important!”

“Oh I will! Yuka and Yuko said they’d come along too.”

Gou blinked. “Really? Them too?”

“Of course! It’s amazing you guys did so well! We’ll definitely come cheer for you!”

Gou hid a smile behind a hand, a little embarrassed. Yuko and Yuka had shown next to no interest in the swim team’s activities. She hadn’t expected this sort of support. It was sweet of them.

“I heard Mikoshiba-san’s team did very well too.”

Gou nodded. “They did. Their relay team got past the preliminaries and Seijuro broke a record in the 200m free.”

“Did he really?! Did you cheer for him?”

“Uhh y-yeah.” Gou tried to hide her grimace. Looking back now she really regretted not being as enthusiastic or cheerful for Seijuro’s win yesterday. He had performed exceptionally well and she had been too busy moping over her brother to appreciate his success. It was making her feel kind of guilty.

“What about your brother?” asked Hana as if reading her thoughts. “Did he do well?”

“Uhhh, yes. He…did.” She lowered her gaze to her water glass. “He got past the preliminaries for the 100m free.” Unlike Haru.

“Oh good!” Hana cheered, completely oblivious.

“Yeah.” Gou faked a smile. She didn’t want to talk about her brother’s race. All she could recall from that was that jagged smile of his, like a piece of paper that had been ripped in half over his face. She had thought Rin needed the Iwatobi boys to become his old self again. But now she wasn’t so sure what he needed.

“Did you give Mikoshiba-san a kiss after he did so well?” asked Hana slyly and Gou glared at her.

“No!” She decided not to mention the good luck kiss she had given him before the competition. That hadn’t been a real kiss. Just a…spur of the moment thing. Didn’t count at all.

“You still haven’t? Even after all that stuff you thought about him?”

Gou pressed her lips together, eyebrows lowering. Upon returning from their trip to the sawgrass park Gou had told Hana about her little nighttime adventure in the hotel. She had needed to talk to someone about her mixed feelings regarding that fantasy she had imagined about Seijuro and who better than her best friend? Talking to the Iwatobi boys was definitely out of the question. Rei and Nagisa would only annoy her about it, Haru wouldn’t care, and Makoto’s face might burst into flame if he knew where her mind had gone concerning the Samezuka captain. Except at the time Hana had mostly just wanted to hear about the porno rather than discuss Gou’s issues. _(“I can’t believe you watched it before me!”)_

“Just because I find someone attractive and thought about that sort of stuff doesn’t mean I’m going to actually do it!” she protested. It hadn’t meant anything anyway…

“But you like him, don’t you?” Hana prodded. “You married him after all. That has to mean something.”

Gou frowned down at her salad. “I don’t know why I got married.”

Hana hummed in her throat, chewing thoughtfully on her fork. “Maybe subconsciously you liked him,” she said after a moment. “Maybe that’s why you decided to marry him.”

Gou snorted. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

But…what if Hana _did_ have a point? Could it be that she had felt something for Seijuro that night at the bar? Could it be that was why she had married him while she had been too drunk to realize the consequences of such an action at that time? She _had_ enjoyed spending time with him that night. That much she remembered at least.

And how warm he had been.

She glared down at her half eaten salad. Talking about these sorts of things was supposed to make them easier to figure out but all it was doing for her was making her more confused it seemed.

How different would their relationship be if they hadn’t done that stupid mistake, she couldn’t help but wonder. A lot different maybe. It could have been something they eased into rather than getting thrown into their current situation. The accidental marriage had scared Gou and rightfully so. It had been the same for Seijuro. She could still remember that flicker of panic on his face when she had first told him they couldn’t get a divorce.

But if that hadn’t happened? Gou wasn’t so sure.

“Maybe you should try kissing him again and see how you feel?” Hana suggested.

Gou’s lip twitched. She had only kissed him once. One real true kiss anyway. Kissing him again though…

She tried to imagine what it would feel like to kiss someone else instead, like Makoto or Nagisa. She shuddered. Kissing Makoto would almost feel like kissing her own brother and Nagisa…ugh. Rei was just…no. The only one she could think of out of the group that didn’t gross her out and felt somewhat exciting was Haru, but even just imagining kissing him made her feel very confused and anxious as well, like somehow her whole world had completely shifted and she didn’t know how to balance on it anymore.

But Seijuro. Kissing him - well again anyway – didn’t make her feel that way. In a strange way it made her feel secure. There was no flush of panic like her whole world had suddenly been rattled like how it would feel if she kissed Haru. Imagining kissing Seijuro again felt almost…natural? She didn’t know how to categorize it.

Not to mention her less than pristine thoughts about him at the hotel. While it was true she ogled men a lot she had never thought about actually touching them. Seijuro had been the first where she had thought of going further past simple ogling. Like touching. And him touching her. And her liking it.

She blushed a little. Okay so she was most assuredly attracted to him but liking him? That was a different beast entirely.

Desire, after all, didn’t always equate to something more than simply that.

She took a deep breath to try and quell her tumult thoughts. After Iwatobi’s monumental win this morning the last thing she should be thinking about was Seijuro. They had miraculously succeeded at the relay and gotten past the first round, but the second and final round was right around the corner. They only had a month and they had lots to do in the meantime to insure their victory. They needed those achievements in order to improve their swim club. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by…other things.

“There’s going to be a festival here in a few days,” said Hana once they had finished and stepped out into the street. “Have you heard about it?”

Gou had. It was a summer festival for one of the country’s gods although she couldn’t remember which one.

“We should go!” said Hana. “It’s centered around squid so there’s supposed to be a lot of squid food and different squid events like a squid ink calligraphy contest. We could wear our yukata!”

That did sound like a lot of fun. And Gou had brought a yukata along with her, just in case of course. The festival would be a good excuse to wear it and get all done up for a night. It would be a nice way to have fun after the stress of the last few days. “Okay, let’s definitely go!”

Hana’s lodge was halfway on the way back to Gou’s so they departed there and Gou walked the rest of the way alone. Despite the country’s violent past there had been no present crime Gou had heard of and she felt safe walking the streets at night by herself. She had done it so many times, walking between Iwatobi and Seijuro’s place that it had become a path her feet knew by instinct by now, a way that had become familiar and routine to the point she didn’t even think about where she was going, her feet guiding her like homing pigeons.

She was glad to see the lights were on when she arrived at the door. “I’m home.”

“Welcome home!” Seijuro was seated on the floor in front of the couch. The controller was in his hand and on the screen flashed that age old racing game. Seijuro approached his video gaming with the same sort of intensity as his swimming apparently. After the Iwatobi boys had returned the rental Seijuro had turned right back around and rented it for himself, intent on beating the thing it seemed.

“Have you been here the whole time?”

Seijuro shook his head, gaze locked on the screen. “I was over at the other lodges for a bit. I wanted to check they’re keeping the place clean so we don’t get charged for it.”

“Are they?”

Seijuro grunted. “When there’s a bunch of teenage boys living together the definition of clean becomes a lot more lax. Nitori alone is a menace.”

Nitori? Her brother’s roommate? She wouldn’t have expected him to be that messy. He was so prim and proper in person.

“I spoke to my mother today too,” Seijuro said softly.

Gou raised her eyebrows. The way he said that made it very noteworthy and she wondered if he, like her, been avoiding calling back home because of their accidental marriage. It didn’t take that big of a stretch of the imagination to believe so. Despite Seijuro’s boisterous personality there was no reason he wouldn’t be just as reluctant as Gou to divulge to his family the mistake he had made. They would surely be disappointed in him.

“How did…that go?”

Seijuro shrugged. “Alright. She likes to hear about our competitions. Too bad I couldn’t deliver better news.” He flashed her a grin.

She made a small sound of amusement. Like her he kept the topics to safe ones when speaking to his family. Calling his mother right after the first round of competition had been a smart move. It gave him a topic to stay focused on without deterring into possibly dangerous territory. Like who he was living with for example. Or the fact he was now a married man.

Gou sat on the couch’s arm and slid lazily down into the crook. She was tired and while she knew she should just go to bed she was too tired to move right at this second and didn’t feel ready to turn in just yet besides. She watched the screen for a few moments but her gaze wandered to something that was more interesting to look at. With Seijuro’s back to her and with his attention utterly focused on the game she was able to stare at him unabashedly. She studied the curve of his shoulders, the muscles of his back she could see outlined underneath the fabric of his shirt, his long muscular arms and the darker tone of his skin. She wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

She shook her head in an effort to refocus. Desire didn’t always equate to something more than that. That was true. But desire more often than not could also be the byproduct of something else entirely.

She started talking before she realized she was doing so, as if these words had come naturally to her, an act that was the same as breathing. “You know there’s a festival coming up in the next few days.”

“Oh yeah?” Seijuro’s racer curved across the screen. He was in third place.

“It’s the country’s celebration of the god of summer I think. They celebrate it by eating a bunch of squid and doing all these competitions focused around squid.” She paused for a second. “You should come.”

Her heartbeat sped up a little after asking that. The only other time she had asked him to come along anywhere was during golfing when she had wanted to get away for a bit. This was the first time she was inviting him elsewhere and more importantly him in specific. Oddly she found herself really wanting him there over anyone else, even Iwatobi.

The question must have shocked Seijuro too for he looked at her over his shoulder. On the screen his racer proceeded to smack into a wall. Third place dropped quickly into sixth. “I-is Gou-kun inviting me on a date?!”

Gou blinked. “Huh?”

The smile that spread across his face was criminal. “Of course I’ll go on a date with you, Gou-kun!”

“W-wait what?!” She hadn’t meant it to be a date at all! “I-I didn’t say anything about it being a date!” Her face was heating up hotter than an oven. “I was talking about the entire Samezuka swim club!” That was a lie but she wasn’t going to tell him otherwise. “And don’t use Gou and kun together!”

Seijuro wasn’t listening to her in the least. In fact he seemed to be wiping away a tear. “I’m so happy!”

_“_ I-its not a date!” Gou protested. “I meant the entire Samezuka swim team should come along! There’s going to be a shrine there for the water god so you can pray for victory! All the swim teams are doing it!”

“Gou-kun is so kind! Looking out for us!”

She debated throwing his pillow at his head. “Are you even listening to me?!”

He was too busy sniffling into his palms, mewling how happy he was.

Gou sighed and raised her eyes to the ceiling. Good grief. Boys were impossible.

But…despite her embarrassment and racing heartbeat what had her intentions been inviting him along? She wanted to spend time with him, in a setting that didn’t have to do with their hosted events or swimming. Something that two normal teenagers would do together under normal circumstances. She hadn’t intended it to be a date at all.

Or had she?

_Whatever._ She didn’t want to examine that right now.

She sat up and held out a hand. “Give me that controller.”

“Huh?” Seijuro looked up from his over dramatized snuffling.

“Give me the other controller.” She moved her hand imploringly. “I’m going to beat you into the ground.”

Seijuro stared at her in confusion for a moment then he smirked. “Alright, but don’t be mistaken! I won’t go easy on you even if we are going on a date!”

Gou’s cheeks flamed. “It’s not a date!”

He conveniently ignored that. He handed the controller to her and as he did so his fingertips brushed against her own. Gou tried to ignore the slight touch, despite how her whole body seemed to focus on it. How often _had_ she touched him that didn’t involve a life threatening situation or panic because her brother was around? Touching simply to touch and be touched _._

_Not very often._ She ground her teeth.

Seijuro flung himself back so his back was against the couch mere inches from Gou’s legs. “I won’t go down so easily!” he said.

Gou punched at the buttons on her controller. “You already lost to us once today,” she said. “Now I’ll make sure you lose again.”

“Gou-kun is so cruel! My feelings are hurt!” From the look on his face his feelings were anything but hurt. There was a feral glint to his eye, a glint of enlivened challenge, the same sort of look he must wear right before diving into a race, like it was something he needed to conquer. It was strangely thrilling seeing him look like that. Gou wondered what it would be like if he looked at her in that way.

“S-stop using Gou and kun together!” she yelled at him on reflex, desperately trying to empty her mind of other thoughts. It had been going into very dangerous territory as of late.

“I’ll accept your challenge!” His voice was much too loud for their small living room.

“Prepare to lose then!” Gou selected her racer. She leaned forward to get into a better position and tried to ignore the soft warmth of his shoulder brushing against her calf.

 

-

 

It was late by the time they stopped playing. Gou disappeared into the other room and Seijuro settled back onto the couch. He waited to hear the sound of Gou sliding into the sheets then he smirked into the darkness.

Pulling that move about the date had been a bold one. A _very_ bold one but the opportunity had presented itself and Seijuro had seized it.

Things could have gone wrong. _Horribly_ wrong but Seijuro had been sitting idly by for far too long. He was a doer not a thinker, and he had been beating around the bush and being wishy washy for way, way too long. Docile wasn’t really part of his personality.

Seijuro went after the things he wanted after all.

And maybe sometimes in order to crack an egg you really did have to smash it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left kudos or commented!
> 
> I will be moving across half the country at the end of this month so my free time is going to shrink quite a bit. I am hoping to have at least one other chapter out before then but otherwise it will be quite delayed.


	24. Squid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am finally all moved now! And am in a relatively stationary place (even though I ain't got no j-o-b yet) so updates should hopefully come faster!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has commented, left kudos, or bookmarked, and for everyone's patience and understanding considering how long it takes for me to update sometimes!

Hana had told Gou the festival was centered around squid, but Gou had never anticipated the sheer amount of squid dishes the festival would contain. Squid burgers, squid paella, fried squid, squid with chips, ginger squid, stuffed squid, squid salad, squid on a stick. Everywhere she looked there were stalls filled with squid dishes. And candy apples in the mix. Oddly.

"Where's Mikoshiba-san?" asked Hana once they had taken a few moments to take in the sights. "He's meeting us here, right?"

Gou flipped her phone open to see the message from Seijuro. "He hasn't arrived yet. They're running late."

Inevitably no matter what Samezuka was doing if it somehow involved an Iwatobi member they would be late somehow. According to Seijuro some of their swim members had forgotten about festival and had been late getting out of the locker room. How someone had managed to forget such an event was beyond Gou. _They must not be fans of squid._

Gou hadn't seen Seijuro since this morning. She had gotten ready at Hana's place rather than returning home once Iwatobi's swimming had concluded. There had been a lack of bathroom space at Hana's and the two of them had squabbled over the mirror quite a bit, but Gou hadn't wanted to get ready at home despite having a whole bathroom there to herself. Because she hadn't wanted Seijuro to see her. For some reason she wanted to surprise him, wanted to see his reaction at all the effort she had put into her appearance tonight without him knowing beforehand. Like that night she had gone out with the bar to the girls. She wouldn't mind seeing that sort of reaction from him again.

"What should we do in the meantime?" asked Hana. "Want to try the squid paella?"

"Sure."

They moved down the rows of stalls. Gou indulged herself a little too much. She tried anything and everything that looked good, even the dishes that sounded less than healthy. Iwatobi wasn't here after all. They wouldn't have any idea about how much she was breaking their diet rules! There was no way they could find out—

"O-oh, you're all here."

Iwatobi. All of them. Standing next to the squid catching heaven event. Gou nearly froze at suddenly finding them there. Vaguely she was glad all she had in her hand was a squid on a stick. It wouldn't have looked very good if she had been caught with the squid cheesecake she had been eating earlier.

"Gou-chan!" Nagise greeted her.

"G-good evening!" Hana hung back behind Gou, as if hiding slightly behind her. Although facing the four boys all at once without knowing any of them particularly well was sure to make any girl suddenly shy.

"You're wearing yukata!"

"So are you," Gou observed. Nagisa and Rei were dressed up nearly as much as Gou and Hana even more so. _Maybe they're on a date_.Although Makoto and Haru were there too. A double date perhaps?

"You both look cute," Makoto complimented them, although whether he truly meant that or was just being polite Gou didn't know.

Hana still ate it up regardless. "You mean just our yukata?" she prodded.

"Errrr not exactly…" Makoto looked like he was starting to sweat a bit.

Hana lowered her blushing face behind her fried squid. Gou watched with a touch of amusement. _You're barking up the wrong tree, Hana-chan._ Speaking of which…

Haru stood silently between Nagisa and Makoto, and Gou had to admit she was surprised to see him out. He had been very withdrawn since the race against her brother, not that that was entirely unusual, but there was a strange sense of vulnerability to him that had not been there before. Like an axe whose edge had been worn away and might shatter if struck too hard.

Not to mention the other day at the pool…

" _You were already here!" They hadn't known where Haru had disappeared to, Makoto simply saying he did this sometimes, but there was Haru already at the pool. "Are you already practicing?" Gou handed him a towel. "It's good to see you so motivated!"_

" _I'm not," was his slightly muffled response from behind the towel as he rubbed it against his wet hair. "I was swimming because I didn't know what to do."_

" _Huh?"_

_He let the towel fall limply from the top of his head. He looked back at the water as if addressing it. "I figured I should ask the water about matters involving the water."_

_Gou cocked her head slightly. She had heard Haru talk about the water before as if it were a sentient being but never to quite this extent. "W-what do you mean?"_

_But Makoto stepped up behind her. "Looks like we're all here" he said. "It would be a good idea to start practice now, don't you think?"_

" _Uhh, y-yes, of course!" And the conversation had been dropped there._

His strange behavior had concerned Gou, but seeing him here with the rest of Iwatobi was a good sign. They had at least managed to get him out of the lodge and away from the pool, the only two places Haru seemed to go these days, even if they hadn't managed to completely pull him out of his emotional shell.

"We should see about getting something to eat," Rei suggested. "I'd like to try the squid and chips myself."

"I recommend the squid paella!" Hana offered a little too loudly.

"Sounds delicious!" Nagisa responded just as loudly, although Hana was likely looking more forward to Makoto's positive reaction than Nagisa's.

"Well, we're off to watch the squid calligraphy contest." Gou laced her arm through Hana's before the girl was able to stray away from her. "Try not to stay out too late. We have practice tomorrow."

"Yes, Gou-chan!"

"It's Kou."

The boys waved as they moved off and Gou kept a firm grip on Hana's arm while the girl waved enthusiastically back. She needed to keep Hana with her. She would lose her nerve otherwise.

Not that it was a date, of course. Despite what Seijuro said. Not a date at all! They were just…spending time together. Totally different.

Besides she had agreed to come to the festival with Hana before she had talked to Seijuro anyway. If she didn't spend time with Hana after agreeing to do so then what kind of friend would she be! That was her excuse anyway.

"Do you think your brother is going to come?" Hana and her turned to head towards the calligraphy contest area.

"Errr, no, I don't think he is." She had tried texting him but he hadn't responded. Not that he ever responded to her regardless. "He's…not into this sort of thing."

Or into any sort of fun in general. His only source of joy seemed to be in racing and beating his rivals. _If you can call that joy anyway._

Her phone buzzed to life and Gou pulled out the ugly phone to read the message. "Seijuro says that he's-"

* * *

"Almost there." Seijuro tapped his fingers against the frame of train door, moving his feet restlessly. The train felt like it was going so slow, and his growing impatience only made it feel that much slower. "I am running so late."

"What's that?" Nakagawa raised his head from where he had been mindlessly staring out the train windows.

"Uh, nothing. I was just saying we're running late to pray! Speaking of which, we'll head over to the shrine first; get that done before everyone becomes too distracted." Because trying to herd together a bunch of teenage boys to go do something after they had become enamored in something else was the equivalent of trying to hold water in a strainer using only cheap tape.

Thankfully it wasn't that far of a walk from the train station to the festival and the shrine was easily found once they got there. As per their usual custom whenever they encountered a shrine before a competition, they prayed for victory, clapping their hands and bowing their heads. The prayer went smoothly and quickly. These sorts of things the swimmers were always attentive about. Because praying for victory was a serious matter. Because victory was serious.

"You're free to walk around now," Seijuro announced once they were finished. "But make sure you stay out of trouble!"

"Yes, sir!"

He waited for them to disperse before departing. He didn't want his teammates to see where he was going. Well, namely he didn't want _Matsuoka_ to see where he was going. He watched with a sharp eye as the red head took off down the stairs with Nitori trailing after him, the younger boy calling for the other to wait.

"Where should we head first?" Nakagawa pointed down the hill to some stand or other. "That looks pretty interesting. Catching squid. Let's go do that."

Seijuro opened his phone to see the latest message from Gou informing him where she and Hana were. "Let's head over to the calligraphy contest."

"The calligraphy contest?" Nakagawa squinted. "Calligraphy? I never imagined you were into that sort of thing."

Seijuro wasn't but he had to keep up appearances sake. He couldn't tell Nakagawa the true reason he was going there but nor did he want the other boy going elsewhere. Though he would never admit it he wanted Nakagawa around, for a distraction if nothing else. Gou had Hana with her. It would be awkward if he just showed up by himself. He'd end up turning into a third wheel with the two girls. "Calligraphy is a great historical activity and some culture would do both of us some good!" he said instead. "We should go to increase our cultural aptitude!"

Nakagawa blinked. "Our what?"

They made their way down to the main festival area and with a bit of confusion navigated over to the squid calligraphy area. Seijuro kept a wary eye open for Matsuoka but did not see the other boy, and he relaxed once they reached their destination. It was highly unlikely Matsuoka was interested in such a thing as a calligraphy contest. Unless Nitori was and had dragged him over…Seijuro did a quick double take of the area again.

"There's a good spot over there." Nakagawa pointed.

"O-oh good." Seijuro craned his neck in search of a certain other Matsuoka sibling.

"The calligraphy contest is over there," said Nakagawa in a strange tone, his head tilted to the side as he observed Seijuro's odd behavior.

"A-ah, yes." They moved further over, Seijuro cursing in his head. He didn't want to watch the stupid calligraphy contest. He was much more interested in finding—

"Fancy seeing you here."

He recognized that voice instantly. _Oh good! What luck!_ They had found him instead. That was convenient. He turned. "Gou-ku—" His mouth froze halfway.

To say Gou looked good would have been the understatement of the year. Of the decade. Of the century. He had seen her dressed up before like when she went to the bar with her friends but not like _this._ Her hair was all done up out of its customary ponytail and she had even worn make up. And she was wearing a yukata. _Why_ hadn't she worn that before? Seijuro would give up all his earnings if he could see her wear that everyday.

Gou ducked her head, a splash of red appearing across her cheeks. "D-did you just get here?"

Seijuro struggled to reassemble his scattered thoughts. He had to retain composure. Nakagawa was right beside him and he was only supposed to be running into Gou by coincidence. He fought to maintain a straight face although the blood rising in his face he couldn't do much about. "Y-yes. W-we just arrived a few moments ago." Did his voice just _crack_? He coughed to loosen his tight throat. "What about you guys?"

"We arrived just a short while ago. We've been watching the calligraphy contest." Gou twitched suddenly as Hana's hand fell onto her shoulder.

"Good evening, Mikoshiba-san!"

"Hi, Hana."

The girl was dressed up as much as Gou and while she looked cute she was nothing compared to Gou. _Although maybe I'm a bit biased._

Nakagawa leaned around Seijuro to peer at the two girls. "You look familiar. You're Iwatobi's manager, aren't you?"

Gou beamed at being recognized. "Yes, that's right."

"Matsuoka…?"

"Gou," said Seijuro while at the same time Gou said, "Kou." She shot a glare at him from under her eyelashes.

Seijuro coughed into his fist. "Um, you've met Nakagawa before."

"We've never been properly introduced." Nakagawa bowed. "I'm Nakagawa Shouta."

"Nice to meet you." Hana and Gou both returned the gesture.

Nakagawa straightened. He looked back at the calligraphy contest. "We should get going. If you don't want to miss the calligraphy contest that is."

"Oh!" The stupid calligraphy contest. _Dammit._ He had forgotten that had been his initial excuse to come over here. "W-well, looks like it's about to end! Guess we missed it. Too bad!" He turned back to the girls. "What are you two ladies going to do now?"

Gou pointed. "We're going to check out some of the games."

"Games?" Seijuro blinked. "Games! That sounds like fun!" Much more fun than a squid calligraphy contest anyway. Not that it mattered. Gou could have said she was going to go pick through garbage and Seijuro would have happily followed along. "Let's go!"

"Are you sure?" Nakagawa scratched the back of his head. "You sounded so enthusiastic about the calligraphy contest—"

"Oh but playing games sounds like so much more fun now! Let's do that instead! You like games, don't you?" _Don't ruin this for me, Nakagawa._

But thankfully Nakagawa sighed heavily, in that way of his when he was about to agree to something he didn't like or was exasperated. Seijuro was used to hearing it. "Your attention span really _has_ been all over the place lately, you know," Nakagawa informed him. "Besides you haven't even asked if it's okay for us to come along—"

"It's fine," said Gou.

Seijuro could have died a little. He threw an arm across the silent Nakagawa shoulders. "Let's go, Nakagawa! I bet you can't beat me at shooting!"

Nakagawa squirmed at the invasion of personal space. "I've never shot a gun in my life! And who says we're going to be playing shooting games?"

"Neither have I but I bet I'll still beat you!"

As it turned out Seijuro was horrible at shooting.

"Shit!" Seijuro swore as another pellet bounced off the wooden wall, missing the target completely. He wasn't getting anywhere close to his intended target. It was a far cry from when he had first walked up to the booth proclaiming he would win something for the girls. Well more specifically for Gou but he couldn't say that with Nakagawa standing right there and Hana had looked so delighted he felt rather obligated to include her too. Not that it mattered now anyway considering how terrible he was doing.

"You have to actually _aim_ at the target." Nakagawa demonstrated with his own gun. "Don't just shoot wildly. You'll never hit it that way."

"You haven't managed to hit it either!"

The two girls standing further down the booth laughed and Nakagawa wrinkled his nose. Indeed he too was suffering just as bad as Seijuro. He hadn't managed to his target a single time.

"Did you not play shooting games as a kid, Mikoshiba-san?" asked Gou.

"Not much." At least not ones where he actually had to precisely aim. "And I'm pretty sure Nakagawa was born an adult."

"Don't make assumptions about my childhood you know nothing about!"

On the other side of Seijuro Gou raised her gun. Her and Hana had held off shooting in order to observe the two boys on how to properly hold the gun and shoot. Not that that they were exactly good examples to follow.

Gou's arms jerked slightly as the gun went off and Seijuro looked to her target. His eyes widened. "Woahhhh Gou-kun! You got a bullseye! Look at how well Gou-kun did! Gou-kun got a bullseye!"

Gou ducked her head. "W-well, it's not _quite_ a bullseye. And it's Kou…"

"I bet it's beginners luck," said Nakagawa. "Try again."

Gou lifted the gun. A second shot rang out.

Nakagawa stared. "No way."

A second hole lay slightly below the first one, almost dead center on the bullseye once again.

"Are you _sure_ you've never shot a gun before?"

"I never have!" Gou's face was slightly red.

"Gou, you're doing so well! That's amazing!"

"T-thanks, Hana-chan."

They watched in silent awe as her next few shots landed on the bullseye or come within inches of it.

"What are you doing exactly?" asked Nakagawa. "What's your secret?"

"N-nothing! I'm just…pointing and shooting?"

"Gou-kun has a natural talent!" Seijuro proclaimed. He wiped away an imaginary tear. "I'm so proud!"

"D-don't be embarrassing!"

"I'd be scared to be her boyfriend," Nakagawa muttered under his breath and Seijuro choked. If a boyfriend should be worried then what about a husband...? _I'm going to have to be really,_ really _careful…_

Gou ended up hitting nearly all bullseyes for the six shots they were permitted. She leaned over the counter eagerly. "What did I win?!"

That eagerness swiftly faded however once she saw what she had won.

"I can't believe this." Gou's eyes were closed as she clutched the frame a little too tightly. Her prize had been a picture. A picture of a playboy model no less. Clothed at least. _Well, relatively._ Seijuro was trying rather unsuccessfully to stifle his mirth.

"Here." She turned suddenly and pressed it against Seijuro's midsection. "You take it."

" _Me_?" He was forced to grab the thing before it crashed to the ground. "Why me?"

"Because." A grimace flitted at the corners of her mouth. "I'm sure you'll get…more use out of it."

Now Nakagawa was the one spluttering on his laughter and Hana was laughing behind her hand.

Seijuro shot them a glare. He frowned down at the picture he was now stuck with. He had no desire to keep the thing but maybe he'd offer it to his swim team. There was sure to be some hormone ridden bugger there who would want it. Noro perhaps. He seemed like the type who would be into that sort of thing.

They tried a few more games, none of which any of them were good at, and moved after a bit in order to not spend too much money on things they weren't succeeding at to try out some of the food. Gou and Seijuro snagged a table as Nakagawa and Hana waited for the food.

"Did my brother come along tonight?" asked Gou once they were alone.

"Matsuoka?" Seijuro was a bit surprised. He would have assumed Gou had already known her brother was here. "He did. He went off with Nitori when we first got here."

Gou played with a lock of her hair. "D-did he say anything to you?"

Seijuro raised an eyebrow. "About anything in specific?" She couldn't mean the marriage could she? Nothing had occurred lately that would make Seijuro believe Matsuoka had somehow found out.

She must have seen it on his face too, for she quickly said, "Oh, no, no, not that. I just meant…in general."

"No. I mean, I haven't spoken to him lately. He's been pretty focused on his swimming." Maybe a little too focused. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's- it's nothing." She waved a hand. "It's just…he never tells me anything anymore. I just thought maybe he might say something to you since…you're around him a lot more." She laughed a plastic laugh. "I guess not though."

Seijuro watched her expression carefully. Gou rarely said much when it came to Matsuoka but he still remembered that conversation they had had that night after the haunted boat incident and Matsuoka had punched that guy. Apparently the two of them still weren't speaking to each other. _And their father…_ He still had no idea about that. But now wasn't the time to ask.

"Well, I'm sure everything's fine." She moved her shoulders. "I mean he's doing well in his races. That must mean he's doing alright, right? Otherwise he wouldn't do so well."

"He did perform very well." Actually Matsuoka had performed beyond Siejuro's expectations. He had been in top condition for that last race and his timing has been excellent. He had even managed to beat Nanase, even if it had seemed like Nanasae's heart hadn't truly been in that race, not when you compared it to his performance in the relay.

Anyway he didn't want to get caught up thinking about Matsuoka right now. At least not that Matsuoka sibling. There was a much prettier one he wanted to focus his attention on. "Y-you look very nice tonight by the way." Was his voice cracking again?

Gou smiled, a hint of red on her cheeks. "Thank you."

"I didn't realize you had brought a yukata with you."

"Well, you know." She shrugged. "I thought it might be a good idea to bring one along just in case."

Good idea indeed. Seijuro was glad she had. She looked fantastic in it. "You should wear it more often!"

"Do you think so?" Gou sat down at an empty table that was a bit out of the way of the other tables and towards the back. In case Rin walked by undoubtedly. "Did you not bring yours with you?"

"No." Seijuro sat down across from her. "I don't wear mine very often. I was never very big into wearing yukata."

"What about your family? Do they not like them either?"

"No, my sister loves them. You'd like her I bet."

Something crossed Gou's face he was unable to identify. She smiled softly. "Yeah. It sounds like I would." She coughed. "Is your swimming go well?"

"Better now that we have our own pool. I can actually practice again. What about you guys?"

"We haven't had much time to practice," said Gou. "But they seem to be struggling with exchanges." She frowned. "I never realized how time sensitive it could be."

"Well, exchanges often get overlooked during practices," said Seijuro. "So it's good that you're practicing now."

"Does your team struggle with them too?"

"There's always room for improvement." Seijuro frowned a little. "We might be changing our relay line up actually."

"O-oh. Is that because you…"

"Lost," Seijuro finished for her. "Yeah. I need swimmers who can win. Those who are in there best condition." But that suddenly gave Seijuro a brilliant idea. "Hey you should come swim with me sometime!"

Gou jerked back. "M-me?! Swim with you? No way! You'd absolutely crush me."

"Not against me." He laughed. " _With_ me. It'd be fun!" Plus it would give him a great opportunity to see her in a swimsuit. "You do know how to swim, right?" God maybe he could teach her. That would be adorable.

But she quickly snuffed that idea out. "Of course I know how to swim! My father taught me."

That gave him pause but she kept talking without hitching on the words.

"I just…never really got into swimming very much." She shrugged. "That was always brother's thing."

"Oh come on!" He nudged her leg with his own knee underneath the table. She jumped like a mouse had bit her. "It will be fun and could you see why your brother likes it so much! I could teach you a few tricks."

"M-maybe." Gou's face was nearly bright red.

"It'll be fun I promise!" A thought caught his mind and he rubbed his chin. "There's a new speedo I want to try out too. That'd be the perfect opportunity."

"A new speedo?" Gou's eyes widened slightly. "O-oh well, maybe it would be fun! Swimming, I mean. I-I mean I'll…I'll think about it!"

Hana and Nakagawa came over before they could continue their conversation and Seijuro found himself once again having to monitor what he said in front of Nakagawa. It was a bit frustrating. He would have liked to declare anything and everything in front of anyone and everyone. But he couldn't do that. Not with Matsuoka around. But he bore half of the responsibility for that. If they hadn't made their mistake it wouldn't be like this.

But the important thing wasn't about not making mistakes. It was about how one goes about fixing their mistakes.

A little bandage and time, and any gunshot wound could be healed. That's what Seijuro believed anyway.

It was late by the time they headed for the exit. They were exhausted from walking around so much and had stuffed themselves silly. Seijuro had even indulged in cotton candy, chocolate bananas, and candy apples.

"What about your diet?" asked Gou. "I thought you were super worried about that sort of thing."

"It's good to indulge every once in a while!"

"This looks like diabetes in solidified form." Nakagawa poked at one of the apples. "You're going to get fat."

Which prompted Seijuro in trying to force feed him the stuff, making Hana and Gou nearly cry from laughter.

"I'll be staying at Hana-chan's tonight," Gou said as they headed over to the train station. Nakagawa and Hana were slightly ahead of them, permitting them enough privacy to talk discreetly. "It'll be easier than running over to the house so late."

That was true, though Seijuro was still disappointed. Going home alone to an empty house after a day like today was no fun at all.

They stopped a bit away from the station. There were quite a few Samezuka members there waiting and Seijuro didn't want to get too close lest they see Gou. If someone saw them and happened to mention to Matsuoka Seijuro was traipsing around with the guy's sister it could spell trouble.

"Looks like most everyone's here." Nakagawa glanced back at Seijuro. "I'll see you on the train then."

"Alright."

Nakagawa went off to join the other Samezuka members, and Hana stood there twitching for a moment as if unsure what to do when suddenly she proclaimed her feet hurt and departed for a grassy area off to the side, leaving the two of them alone.

"I had a nice time tonight," he said after a brief moment of silence.

She smiled. "I did too."

"We should do it again sometime."

"We should!"

He wondered how she meant that. Did she mean they should go out on more dates? _Official_ dates? Or did she just mean going out with friends again?

For that matter was tonight even a date? If it was what should he do now? What is one supposed to do after a first date? Should he kiss her? What if she backed up? He would want to die if she did. Should he ask her first? Or would that just come across as totally embarrassing and lame and she would say no simply because of that? What if that awkwardness turned her off completely and caused her to lose any interest she might possibly have?

He opened his mouth, not even sure what he was going to say. "Gou—"

"Captain!"

The words died on Seijuro's tongue. "That's—"

Gou's eyes had grown impossibly wide. "Brother!" She glanced frantically around herself. Luckily the other Matsuoka sibling was nowhere in sight. Not yet anyway.

_Dammit._ Seijuro didn't know what he had been about to do but he had been effectively robbed of any chance to initiate anything regardless. _Dammit, Matsuoka._ "Looks like it's time to go."

Gou quickly nodded. She dashed over to Hana, nearly dive bombing the other girl as she grasped her arm and pulled her along. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Alright!" Seijuro waved as the two girls hurried down the dark road, their chattering voices echoing back to him, Hana laughing and Gou scolding her. They disappeared around the corner and with the coast clear Seijuro moved closer to the bus station. It wouldn't do if Matsuoka caught him hanging around in a dark corner like some sort of creep. Or anyone for that matter.

"Captain!" Nitori greeted him pleasantly upon catching sight of him. "The train's about to arrive!"

"Great! Thanks, Nitori." Seijuro glanced discreetly over the crowd of Samezuka members standing around but did not see a certain shark toothed boy amongst them. _Where could he be?_

"Captain!"

_Oh, there he is._ Seijuro turned around. Matsuoka was running up the sidewalk towards him and Seijuro tensed. Was he about to get punched in the face? Had Matsuoka found out about the marriage? What other reason would Matsuoka have to be running towards him?

But Matsuoka didn't run up flinging a fist at Seijuro's head. Rather he was so out of breath he leaned halfway over with his hands clutching just above his knees, sides heaving with his labored breathing. . It couldn't be about the marriage if Matsuoka was stopping to regain his breath. Or maybe he was regaining his breath in order _to_ punch him.

"Matsuoka, what are you doing?" he asked carefully.

"The train's about to arrive!" Nitori supplied helpfully for some reason. Maybe he thought Rin had been running in order to catch the train.

"Captain." Matsuoka straightened. Streaks of sweat were running down his face, but more noticeably than that was the lack of that customary glowering expression of his. Matsuoka wasn't smiling, not that he seemed to ever do so unless he was beating Nanase in a race, but there was a calmness to him, a calm intensity like he had reached some sort of decision. Seijuro had never seen him look like that before. He scarcely managed to keep his eyebrows from rising.

"We need to talk."

* * *

Inside the darkened house Seijuro sat on the couch, his hands laced in front of his mouth, gaze locked on his phone sitting on the table in front of him as if waiting for it to do something. He should lay down and go to bed. Now even when Gou wasn't there he slept on the couch. It felt wrong to sleep in the bed without her permission after so much time and he regarded it as her's. He didn't want to invade that personal space. Not with her permission anyway.

And he couldn't sleep right now besides. Not after the decision he had made regarding Matsuoka's request. And, more importantly, how much he should tell Gou, if anything.

It wasn't technically any of Gou's business. What he did with his swim team and its members was none of her concern, and it was knowledge that only he needed to know.

But…it was her precious brother. And her precious swim team.

She deserved to know. And he felt like he should tell her.

He reached forward and seized his phone. He punched out a text.

_There's something you should know…_

* * *

The next morning Gou burst out into the pool area. She had run over from Hana's house, her phone with its text message from Seijuro she had just read this morning clutched in her hand, knowing she needed to tell them.

"Big news!" She nearly fell over as she came to a screeching halt, the four boys looking up in mild surprise at her sudden entrance. "My brother!" She fought to suck in a breath to continue. "He's going to be swimming in the relay for the final round!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always kind of wondered how Gou managed to find out Rin was swimming in the relay in the show as I find it unlikely Rin would tell her. I'll just pretend that Seijuro told her in the show as well.
> 
> Also can you tell I had no idea what to title this chapter? Oops.


	25. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fairly certain I'm very unhealthily addicted to Sims. Send help.

Gou watched the screens with riveted attention, mindlessly gnawing on a protein bar like she was eating popcorn at a movie theater. Across the three screens displayed in front of her played the recording of Haru's swimming they had taken just a few moments ago. The recordings provided them with a birds eye view of his form from several different angles, a great way for the swimmers to see themselves in action and judge if any adjustments needed to be made. _And_ it provided a most excellent view of their muscles. Which Gou was primarily focused on.

Whatever. She deserved a reward after all the running back and forth she had done to get those recordings. That had been quite the workout.

The cameras had been provided courtesy of Goro. The coach had gotten tired of the boys' nearly constant mistakes, decreeing they didn't know what they were doing and they left him no other choice. The next day the cameras and video monitors had appeared.

"Who paid for all this?" Rei had asked upon seeing the equipment.

"I did!" Goro decreed. "I told you! You left me no other choice!"

"You can afford all this, Goro-chan?"

"Well, Amakata helped," Goro admitted, completely missing the looks that comment generated. "And besides, we're going to win that money, remember?! I expect you to pay me back in full!"

Gou grimaced around her protein bar. Betting on money they hadn't even acquired yet. That was poor financial planning if she ever heard it. Hopefully it was Amakata who controlled the purse strings and had a better plan in mind…

Haru straightened from leaning over to watch the screens. He made his way back over to the pool, having watched his fill. He had been the guinea pig for the recordings. He had offered no feedback but his wanting to get back into the pool so shortly after watching was a clear sign he had gotten something in mind after watching.

"Haru-chan's being very proactive," Nagisa commented as the other boy dove in.

That he was. Despite the announcement that Rin would be participating in Samezuka's relay it didn't appear to have effected him. In fact he looked to be in better spirits than he had been since the race against her brother. He was calmer, more stable, as if he had stepped off some sort of precipice onto more solid ground, had found some sort of answer to a riddle he didn't even know he was trying to solve.

Had something happened that night at the fair? That was the only thing Gou could assume. His attitude had changed from that time she had seen him there and when she had seen him the next day. What had happened she wasn't certain but whatever it was she was glad. She didn't want to experience that feeling she had after watching him lose to her brother. Ever.

They took a short break and Gou gathered up all the dirty towels to bring to the locker room. She nearly dropped them at what she saw when she entered however. "W-What are you doing?!"

Goro flipped open the locker door he had been writing on, proudly displaying his graffiti. "Iwatobi forever!"

Gou stared in open mouthed shock. He had even written it in English…

Nagisa peered at the words. "You spelled it wrong, Goro-chan."

"That isn't what's important!"

"Of course that isn't what's important!" Gou clutched her head. "What are you thinking?! You're defacing public property! What if they charge us for it?!"

"They won't notice it! People write on these things all the time!" Goro gestured at the other pristine lockers. "And even if they do how will they know we did it?"

"You wrote _our school's name_ on it!"

"If only you had spelled that wrong too, Goro-chan."

"I wouldn't spell that wrong! And who's to say another school wouldn't write something like that?"

" _What_ other school would write that?"

Goro considered that for a moment. "Samezuka?"

"Why would Samezuka write that?!"

"Well, you _are_ married to the captain of their swim team."

Gou choked on her own tongue. She tried to say something in response but all she could manage were a few utterances that were nowhere close to words.

"Would Sei-chan really write such a thing though?" Nagisa scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "Wouldn't he be more likely to write something like 'Seijuro and Gou forever' instead?"

Gou's face reddened.

"You're right!" Goro agreed. "That does seem more like something he'd write!"

"N-no, he wouldn't!"

Nagisa seized the marker from Goro. He approached another locker. "I'm going to write that over here."

Gou smacked the instrument out of his hand. "Don't you dare! It's bad enough we have our school name written down, we don't need my name written there too! I don't want to be the only one getting charged!"

"You're most concerned about that rather than the message itself?" Haru asked and Gou's face reddened further at his implication.

"Let me write something else then." Goro bent down to pick up the marker.

"No!" Gou quickly placed a foot over the offending instrument whilst at the same time Nagisa said, "You'd probably just spell it wrong again, Goro-chan."

"The spelling isn't what's important!" Goro insisted. "What's important is that the message gets across!"

"At least his lack of spelling doesn't affect his coaching ability," commented Haru, clearly looking for silver linings.

"That's true!" Nagisa shook his smarting hand. "Even if you can't spell you've helped us a lot by coming on this trip, Goro-chan!"

"Of course!" Goro puffed out his chest, likely trying to look like some sort of brazen God but instead just reminding Gou of a swelled up angry frog.

"And we should keep up the hard work," said Makoto. He stepped further into the room now that they weren't squabbling over the marker, deeming it safe to enter. "That way we can face Rin once again in the relay."

"That's the spirit!" Goro knocked a fist into his open palm. "It's time for us to get serious! Where's that marker?! I need to map out a swimming regiment!"

" _I'll_ hold onto the marker," Gou declared. The last thing she needed was for him to go crazy drawing all over a white board again. All those circles and crazy lines…It had taken her an age to erase the other one he had used for their training camp.

She bent down to confiscate the marker. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention suddenly and she glanced up to see Rei walking out of the locker room. He hadn't said a single word while being there despite Nagisa and Goro's antics. That was unusual in itself, but him leaving without saying anything was definitely irregular. He was normally always so keen on scolding Nagisa, although Gou couldn't help but think of that as his own little way of involving himself.

But today he had excluded himself on purpose and it looked like she wasn't the only one who had noticed it either. Haru was watching the other boy leave as well, a strange almost concerned expression on his face. It was the most emotion she had seen from him in a while and she nearly stumbled into Makoto's legs as she rose from her crouched position. Was Haru _worried_ about Rei? And if he was, then why?

She didn't get a chance to pursue that conversation however, as Makoto asked her what they had coming up on the schedule.

"Ummm." She tried to get her brain back on the current topic. "There's an industrial complex tour coming up."

"An industrial complex?"

"Yes. It's some sort of plant, I think. I'm not entirely certain. Sorry, I'll try and find out more later."

They had been so involved with swimming she hadn't paid too much attention to their hosted events lately. Time was dwindling down and there weren't too many events left besides.

Just the big race left. And then home.

She bit her lip. Only a few more weeks and they would be back in Japan. Time had passed by so quickly it was almost alarming. It felt like only yesterday they had landed and she had gone out and gotten drunk. And gotten married.

Somehow thinking about leaving made her feel somewhat sad. Despite what had happened she had…really enjoyed herself here. Overall she had and in some aspects being in this country had felt like being in another world. Somewhere where crazy things could happen any day and life could change in a heartbeat.

Once they returned it would be back to school, back to home, back to normalcy. Back to sanity and reality.

Somehow Gou couldn't help but compare being here to being inside a dream.

And she wasn't so certain if she wanted to wake up just yet.

* * *

Seijuro's tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth in morbid concentration of his current task. When Seijuro found something to devote himself he _really_ devoted himself to it and this task was no different. There was no messing this up. If he did it would be almost impossible to fix, if at all. He only got one shot. He had to make sure he did it right!

His key scratched across the surface of the metal park bench. It briefly occurred to him that using the key to his current residence was probably not the brightest idea but he was rather short on scratching instruments. If the key got damaged…Well, he could always climb through the window he supposed. Or beg Gou to let him in. Yes, that.

He nearly held his breath as he finished his masterpiece. He blew away the metal dust his key had cropped up and swept his hand across the surface to clear it.

There. It was done! He leaned back to admire his handiwork.

Carved into the bench was now the saying 'Seijuro + Gou 4ever' across its surface. Seijuro complimented himself on a job well done. He had wanted to spell forever fully but that would have taken a lot more carving and time, and right now he just didn't have that. He couldn't very well leave it unfinished before he had to depart. Some compromises had to be made! It was still utterly perfect regardless. Even if it weren't _technically_ true. _Oh well._ He shrugged. If some stranger saw it they wouldn't know any better anyway.

"You should be more careful about that sort of stuff."

Seijuro lowered his eyelids at the reprimand. Nakagawa sucking all the joy out of Seijuro's work. How expected.

Still Nakagawa was right, of course. Defacing public property with little love messages was not a very smart thing to do, especially with Matsuoka not far off, but Seijuro couldn't help himself. He was excited. Despite the fact nothing had happened at the fair it had still kind of, sort of been a date, and Gou had said she had enjoyed herself. _And_ she had agreed to go swimming with him. Things were great!

He chewed on a knuckle. He still had to plan that swimming thing…

"Seems like Iwatobi is the one running late for once," Nakagawa observed.

"That they are." Seijuro moved his key across the letters to make sure the scratch was deep enough.

"Have you tried texting her?" Nakagawa was careful to not say any names but they both knew exactly who he was referring to.

"Not yet," Seijuro replied. He had known what inviting Nakagawa along to the fair could entail and he had been unsurprised when Nakagawa had guessed it right away the very next day.

" _You like her, don't you?"_

_They stood side by side at the edge of the pool and Nakagawa dropped the sentence so casually anyone else watching would have assumed they were simply talking about swimming affairs. Seijuro made sure to not show anything on his face and to not change his expression. He merely hummed in his throat in response, eyes trained sharply on Matsuoka beneath the surface of the water._

" _Is there anything going on between you two?" asked Nakagawa._

_Seijuro couldn't tell him the whole truth. That would be too dangerous. "Not yet," he said instead. Because he_ hoped _that was true._

_Nakagawa's gaze wandered to Matsuoka. "She's the sister of—"_

" _Yes."_

" _Does he—"_

" _No."_

_Nakagawa raised an eyebrow but Seijuro provided no further response. He couldn't anyway. The less Nakagawa knew the better. He couldn't divulge the whole truth._

" _Well." Nakagawa let out a breath. He shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose there's nothing really to tell him if you aren't even dating yet."_

_Seijuro smirked a little. He didn't bother correcting Nakagawa – there was a_ lot _to tell Matsuoka - but he knew everything would be alright. Nakagawa would keep the knowledge to himself._

And maybe Seijuro was a little glad that someone else knew. It was nice to have someone from his own swim team that he didn't have to hide and dance around. Personally he would have liked to tell everyone but with the way things stood now that wasn't possible. Maybe he'd tell Nakagawa the whole truth someday. But not right now.

"Is that why you let Matsuoka onto the relay?" asked Nakagawa suddenly and Seijuro looked up from his scratching.

He stared uncomprehendingly. "Huh?"

"The girl," Nakagawa said in clarification. "Is it because of her that you let Matsuoka onto the relay?"

Seijuro was genuinely surprised by the question. He straightened and tucked the key back into his pocket. "Not at all. Why? Is that what you think?"

Nakagawa didn't answer that. Instead he said, "I was just curious why you suddenly decided to let him on."

"He asked to join and he's done very well." He glanced in Matsuoka's direction. The boy was sitting on the edge of the curb with Nitori. Nitori was talking but if Matsuoka's mouth opening was any indication of how much he was contributing to the conversation it was likely only grunts and short responses if anything at all.

"You saw that for yourself at the last round," Seijuro continued. "He's one of the few in his best condition and we'll need that if we want to win. It had nothing to do with Gou."

Now _that_ was a complete truth. Seijuro hadn't based his decision of Matsuoka's request around Gou at all. If anything allowing Matsuoka onto the relay team was more detrimental to Iwatobi than refusing his request. Nanase had already lost to him once. Having to face him again was sure to make even that stoic teen a little nervous.

"If I said no, wouldn't you be asking me _why_ I said no?" he prodded.

Nakagawa mulled over that for a moment. "It's just he's so new to the team is all," he said. "He only joined us a few months ago. He may not be as in sync with the others as someone who has been with us for years."

That may be true and while Seijuro would have normally agreed with Nakagawa, he could still remember that amazing relay Matsuoka had swum with Nanase in elementary school. If one regarded past history Matsuoka was very good at coordinating with others, and he had asked to join the relay. While Matsuoka's request had been unexpected - Matsuoka had been focused on only the 100m free since joining the swim team – it could be he wanted to feel more like a part of the team or something. Seijuro honestly wasn't sure about the motive behind Matsuoka's sudden desire to join the relay but he was sure Matsuoka had his reasons.

"He'll catch on."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then we'll remove him."

"Are you sure?"

Nakagawa's gaze was probing and Seijuro was a bit taken aback. Normally Nakagawa wasn't on him so much about the decisions he made regarding the swim team. This was the first time he could recall Nakagawa pressing an issue so much.

It had to be because of Gou. He could see how that could be a worry but he wasn't basing his decisions about the swim team around his feelings for her. Winning came first after all.

"Of course. Have a little more faith in your captain!"

Nakagawa watched him a moment then he nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Alright." He turned his head. "Looks like Iwatobi has arrived. Just in time too."

Indeed they had. They must have been in quite the hurry too for the boys' hair was still wet. And of course they had to round the corner right where Seijuro's newly carved bench was. Quickly he rose to hide the carving. "M-morning!" His voice was so loud Nakagawa flinched away from him. "Glad to see you guys made it!"

"Sorry we're so late." Makoto swiped an arm across his forehead. "Goro was working us extra hard and-"

"We lost track of time because I was busy running back and forth," Gou grouched. "And nobody else carries a watch."

Running back and forth? Seijuro had no idea what that was about. Maybe a new exercise regiment?

"Oh good, a bench." Nagisa looked in delight at the thing like it was a lovely feather bed then an overheated cheap germ infested hunk of metal. "I'm so tired."

_Shit._ Seijuro slid to the side to block his path. "W-we should hurry up and get going!" Quickly he forced himself to lower his voice. "I mean since we're already running a bit behind."

Nakagawa's face twitched as if caught in some sort of spasm. His body was almost positively shaking with the suppression of his laughter. Seijuro resisted the urge to kick him.

"You're right, we should hurry," Makoto agreed. "We don't want to be any later than we already are."

Seijuro could have dropped to his knees and kissed the other boy's shoes. If you were ever a friend in need then Makoto was your friend indeed.

"We'll see you guys inside then," said Makoto and the Iwatobi members turned to head towards the plant's entrance.

Gou waved as they moved away and Seijuro returned the gesture, though with a little less exuberance then he normally would have. His narrowed gaze slid over to the person next to him. "You…"

Nakagawa burst out laughing. He turned to the side so Iwatobi and the other Samezuka members wouldn't notice. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He wiped a tear away. "Ugh, that was hilarious."

"Glad to see you're so amused."

"Well, I _did_ warn you," Nakagawa pointed out, fighting a guffaw. "You brought that upon yourself, you know."

"Don't I know the feeling," he muttered under his breath. Ever since that night he had gotten stupidly drunk and gotten stupidly married he had brought it upon himself. He wondered what else he would be able to bring upon himself before this trip was over.

* * *

Gou knew today was going to be boring, simply unable to imagine how in heaven's name a tour around an industrial plant could be exciting, but standing around the lobby for roll call was more boredom than she had anticipated. It was one of the plant's policies, the roll call. They wanted to make sure everyone was accounted for when Iwatobi and Samezuka left for the day apparently, due to liability issues or something. And because of Samezuka there were a lot of names to go through.

Gou shifted where she stood. Her feet were aching from all the running she had been doing earlier to get those recordings. They had better pay off. Not that a little exercise was bad, but that had been a lot of work, damnit. She hoped the boys would use them adequately.

She raised her head as one of the plant employee's was droning on through the names. "Nagisa Hazuki."

"Here!" Nagisa waved his hand wildly, jumping to be seen.

"Y-yes, thank you," said the employee. He looked back to his list. "Toru Iwashimizu."

"Here," called one of the Samezuka members.

It was a bit weird hearing the first names of the other team. Gou had never heard them before. And hearing Nagisa's last name was strange too…

"Rin Matsuoka," called the employee.

"Here," came the surly reply of her brother from amidst the crowd. The employee looked around in confusion and Nitori waved his hand when Rin failed to respond. "Here, sir! He's over here!"

Gou straightened. Her name should be next, right after her brother's. She got ready to call out.

"Seijuro Mikoshiba," the employee called.

"Her—" Gou stopped, mouth halfway open. Her eyebrows lowered. Seijuro? But why were they calling him? She should have been right after her brother. Why would they call Mikoshiba before her? Matsuoka was before Mikoshiba after all. So what had happened to her name?

She stood puzzled for a moment when it suddenly hit her and she made a squeaky sound like a cat toy being impossibly squeezed. The reason they hadn't called her name before Seijuro was because…because…

_They changed it!_

She sucked in a breath. How could she have missed it?! How could she not have thought about that before?! Of course the host country would change her name! After the marriage they must have changed it to…to…

_Oh god._ Her brother was _right there_. If he heard her new flashy last name… _It'll be the last thing I ever hear!_

"Ma-Makoto." She didn't know what to do and she could feel panic settling in like poison gas, her voice laced with it. "Ma-Makoto!"

Makoto looked down with a questioning expression at the strange way she said his name. "Yes?"

"Here," Seijuro called out from somewhere in the crowd.

Gou struggled to get her throat working, trying to think of the best way to explain with her very limited time. "M-my name!" She glanced at her brother to make sure he wasn't looking. "M-my last name! They changed it!"

"Your last name?" Makoto blinked. "Changed it? What do you mean? Who changed your last name?"

"T-the host country. B-because of the…Because of the you know!"

Makoto blinked, not understanding and it was Rei who caught on first. "Of course!" he exclaimed.

Gou waved her hands frantically. He was so loud! She was painfully aware of some nearby Samezuka members glancing over.

"It all makes perfect sense! The host country must have changed it to Miko—"

Nagisa quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. "Rei-chan, shhh!"

"Oh god." Makoto's eyes were distant, like he had just witnessed a car crash. "Oh god! W-why didn't we think of that before?! Oh god! W-what do we do?!" He seized Haru by the shoulders and shook him. "If Rin hears then he'll-" Makoto wasn't brave enough to finish the sentence.

Haru endured the shaking with hardly an eye twitch. He must be used to such things. "Maybe Rin will think it was a mistake," he said. "Their names _are_ right after each other."

"There's no way Rin would buy that! He's not that stupid!"

"Are you sure?"

"Don't be rude, Haru!"

Gou looked to the platform. The employee was gazing at the roll call sheet. He held it out to the host with an apparent question and the host stepped forward, pointing and saying a few things.

"This isn't the time to be arguing about Rin-chan-san's intelligence!" Rei insisted. "We must think of a plan! Maybe Nagisa-kun can run up and grab that roll call sheet—"

"That won't work! There isn't enough time and there are way too many people in the way!" said Nagisa. "Maybe we can pretend to get in a fight instead?! That would distract them!"

"Who in their right mind would want that?!" hissed Rei. "And we could get disqualified from the event for fighting!"

"Oh yeah…"

"Just tell them it's a mistake," said Haru patiently. "You can't be blamed if they just read it incorrectly."

"No, no, we have to think of something better," Makoto attested. "Betting on Rin believing something like that is way too risky!"

"Everyone just start coughing really loudly when they're trying to call it out!"

"Then they might think we're all diseased, Nagisa-kun!"

"Or that we're smokers," said Haru.

"Too late," muttered Gou.

On the platform the host stepped back and the employee returned to looking over the sheet.

Oh god. _B-but maybe this isn't so bad_.She had thought before that she should tell her brother about the marriage. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to get it over with?

She swallowed. _Yeah right._ She was going to die.

"Gou," the employee started and Gou closed her eyes tightly, hands fisting like she were about to endure a blow. This was it. _Goodbye, cruel world._

"Haru!" Makoto's loud voice cut off the employee. It was the loudest Gou had ever heard him yell.

"What?" Haru grouched.

"I-I'm sorry!"

What in the world was Makoto apologizing for? Gou opened her eyes. Just in time to see the taller boy seize Haru, bend him backwards in the same striking fashion Gou had seen on an old famous war photograph somewhere, and kiss him full on the mouth. In front of everyone. In front of the entire Samezuka team.

For a moment there was only stunned silence. Everyone stared in shock at the spectacle occurring right in front of them, including the adults on the platform. Even Gou, her mouth hanging wide open.

"Ooooh," said Nagisa.

Rei nudged her in the ribs. "Gou-san!" he hissed.

"O-oh!" Gou's head whipped back to the platform. "I-I'm here!" She waved her hand. "Right here!"

The employee's head twitched in her direction. "Y-yes. T-thank you." He shook his head, coughed, and returned to his list. "Ummm, K-Kazuteru Minami."

Gou took a deep breath. Crisis averted!

Next to her Makoto had released Haru. He was worrying his hands and looked a bit like he might burst into tears. Haru just stood there. His eyes were glazed over and his hair a little mussed.

It appeared Makoto had found a way to aptly distract everyone from calling her name without running the risk of getting them booted out of the competition.

She just hoped it didn't come at a cost.

* * *

"I can't believe those two." Noro rubbed his nose as they made their way down a glass corridor. The plant and all its huge metal machines were directly below. For their viewing pleasure. Not that anyone was paying attention. At all really. Everyone was too busy talking about the same thing. Makoto and Nanase's little kissing display in the lobby.

"Why would they decide to do something like that now?" Noro continued. "I mean in front of everyone like that and in an _industrial facility_ of all places. That isn't very romantic."

Indeed it wasn't, although Seijuro found it amusing that the plants lack of being a romantic spot seemed to be what Noro was most incensed about.

"Maybe someone dared them to do it," Nakagawa suggested.

"Maybe," said Seijuro, knowing it wasn't. He wasn't so foolish to believe Makoto would have chosen _that_ time and place to suddenly convey his feelings for Nanase. That odd behavior had been for a reason and while he hadn't been sure what exactly that reason was at the time he felt he had a fair inclination now.

Gou's last name. It hadn't occurred to him before but they hadn't called her name right after her brother where it properly should have been. That explained Makoto's bizarre little display of affection for his childhood friend this morning.

Funny how he had never thought of it before, the issue of her last name. For some reason knowing what it was was quite thrilling.

Mikoshiba Gou. That had a nice ring to it, if he did say so himself. Not that he was in any position to say so.

He didn't get a chance to speak to Iwatobi until nearly midday, when they finally stopped for a few minutes to take a break. Matsuoka disappeared around the corner, off to the bathroom most likely, and Seijuro noted Gou followed a moment later, skulking after her brother like some sort of amateur maladroit ninja. If Seijuro was lucky she would distract him for a few minutes.

Makoto had taken up residence on a set of rocky dull gray stairs leading up to a plain looking yellow door; an electrical closet probably. Makoto had his head in his hands, and Nagisa and Rei were with him, trying to cheer him up. Of Nanase there was no sign.

"Hey." He walked over to them. "Everything alright over here?"

"Mikoshiba-san." Rei grimaced. "Uhh, yes, everything's fine. Makoto-senpai is just a little...ummm…"

"Stressed out," said Nagisa, smiled strained at the corners.

Makoto moaned into his hands. "I can't believe I did that."

"That was…rather climatic of you," Seijiro commented. "But thanks."

If Makoto hadn't done what he had then there would have been a screaming red-haired shark-toothed boy going on a murdering rampage right now and Seijuro would have been on the receiving end of said rampage.

"Sorry for making you have to do that."

"No, it's fine." Makoto raised his head. "It needed to happen. _That_ did _._ It's been far too long." He rubbed his upper arms. "I'm glad it did," he said more quietly.

Seijuro found it surprising that Makoto didn't look upset. Rather he looked like a burden had finally been lifted from him, as if he had been carrying something with him all this time and had finally relieved himself of it. That heavy burden had been replaced with anxiousness and nervousness, but also relief and a certain amount of liberation.

"Where is Nanase-kun anyway? I haven't seen him in a while."

"He wandered off," said Makoto. He saw Seijuro's expression. "He does that fairly often. I'd imagine he'd want to be alone right now after what happened earlier."

"Don't worry, Mako-chan!" Nagisa raised his hands encouragingly. "I'm sure Haru-chan won't say no!"

Makoto smiled weakly. "Haru doesn't like sudden things like that. Especially not in front of everyone. It would have been better if I had said something in private first. That was my mistake." He rubbed a hand over his face.

"Well, just think of how Rei-chan and I got together!" said Nagisa.

Seijuro frowned. "How _did_ you two get together?"

Nagisa's smile was beaming. "Rei-chan threw me down and ripped my pants off!"

Rei choked on his own tongue. He spluttered, turning so red it looked like he might explode. Even Makoto was turning a slight shade of crimson. Seijuro pondered if such a tactic could somehow work on Gou. _Probably not._ He wasn't worried so much about Matsuoka in that case as Gou killing him herself long before her brother could get close enough to.

"I-I did no such thing!" Rei protested. "You took your own pants off!"

"Oh, maybe it was me who took your pants off then."

Seijuro was fairly certain there was now steam coming off Rei's ears. The two proceeded to bicker about who had removed whose pants first (Seijuro was at a loss as to why it mattered; he was sure they had both removed each other's pants more than a number of times now) and Seijuro turned his attention back to Makoto. "Do you regret it?" He asked the question quietly so the other two wouldn't hear.

Makoto looked up at him with a faint hint of surprise. "No," he said almost instantly. "I'm glad actually. Even if Haru says no. I mean it will hurt – it will hurt _a lot_ – but at least I'll know. That's better than not doing anything about it. I've waited far too long to begin with."

"Why _did_ you wait so long?"

Makoto gave him a wan smile. "How do you tell your best friend you love them?"

_Right in the gut, huh?_ Seijuro flinched a little. It sounded awfully familiar. Like how do you tell the person you're accidentally married to that you want to be with them?

"Maybe there's something about this country," Makoto was saying, looking up at the ceiling once more. "First Rei and Nagisa, then Ama-chan and Goro, and now this. It's a crazy backwards country with a violent and checkered past but somehow it…" His brows lowered, searching for the right words.

"Brings people together," Seijuro offered.

"Yes, that's right." Makoto smiled at him, that all-knowing smile, and Seijuro turned away with a snort.

If the country did bring people together then how long would it be before it was he and Gou's turn, he wondered. _Maybe never._ Maybe all that magic had been used up their first night here when they had gotten married. Maybe that had been his chance and he had blown it.

Then again Seijuro wasn't really one who believed in magic or fate or anything like that. He believed in speed and time and his own ability. He believed in trying and trying until he succeeded.

Because the fastest swimmer always wins.

That's all.

* * *

Gou ducked low and peered around the corner of the bathroom for her brother. It had likely been a mistake going the same time as he but she couldn't help herself. That tour had been so long and boring. Her bladder had been screaming the entire time.

Following in behind him at a safe distance had been easy but coming back out was another matter. She had hoped she would take much longer than he would, her being a girl and all, but there was really no telling.

After a moment or two without hearing her brother's voice or seeing his figure, she decided it had to be safe. She stepped out.

"Hey."

She froze. _Damnit!_ Guess it wasn't safe. _Why do these things always happen to me?_ "H-hey." She turned to find him oddly waiting in the entrance to the boys bathroom. She tilted her head. "Are you…waiting on something?" It couldn't have been her could it?

But he gestured at the boy's bathroom. "I'm waiting on Nitori."

"Ohhh." _Damn._ She had forgotten about the other boy. She hadn't seen him go into the bathroom.

Rin frowned in the direction of the toilet. "He's taking an awfully long time too. I hope he didn't take that damn picture in with him."

"Picture?"

Rin scowled. "The picture the captain gave him after he had won it at the fair or something. Nitori's become a little too attached to it."

Gou's eyes widened slightly. She had a pretty fair idea what picture he was referring to. "O-oh, I see." She fought to keep her mirth well hidden.

"Speaking of inappropriate," said Rin, tone oddly changing, "looks like Haru and Makoto are going to be making some babies tonight."

Gou's face reddened. "B-but they can't," she protested. "They're both boys."

"That isn't going to stop them from trying."

Gou could feel the heat crawling up her neck. She fanned her face. She really didn't want to talk about Makoto and Haru's plans for the evening after what had happened earlier. She hoped it worked out for them, she truly did, but how they decided to physically express their relationship was not something she wanted to know about.

"Brother," she couldn't help but ask, "why did you decide to swim in the relay?"

The moment she said it he looked over at her sharply and she nearly shrank back at the sudden intensity of his gaze. His expression changed, became brittle and barbed, a serrated edge. "How do you know about that?" The words were very low.

For a second Gou panicked. She couldn't tell him that Seijuro had told her. He would immediately want to know why she was having contact with the Samezuka captain outside of their coinciding hosted events and swimming time. Not to mention the distrust it had the chance of spawning between her brother and his captain.

"I…I overheard some Samezuka members talking about it," she said quickly. That at least was believable. "Sorry. I didn't mean to cause any-"

"Does Haru know?"

She blinked. "Haru-senpai? Y-yes. They all do. Everyone on the team."

Rin grit his teeth. His gaze strayed to focus heatedly on something to the side. Had he not wanted them to know? It certainly looked like he hadn't.

"B-brother?"

"I told you not to get involved in things that don't concern you," he snapped. He straightened as Nitori finally made his exit out of the bathroom.

"Sorry, Matsuoka-senpai! They ran out of toilet paper in the one stall and so I had to—" He caught sight of Gou. "Ah, Gou-san!" He glanced between the two. "The girls restroom is over there." He pointed helpfully.

Gou's smiled was strained. "T-thanks."

Rin pushed off the wall. "Let's go, Nitori."

"Ah, of course, Matsuoka-senpai!" He bowed politely to Gou as he went past and then took racing off after the receding back of her brother. "W-wait up, Matsuoka-senpai!"

Gou took a deep breath. Maybe her brother was right. Maybe it would be best for her to stay out of it, but she couldn't help herself. She couldn't let things stay as they were now. In the end that would just make no one happy.

Rin was wrong. It did concern her.

_It involves me because it involves you._

She just wished he could see that.

* * *

"Can you see anything?"

There was a pause. "Barely. It's too dark."

Nagisa inched closer. "Does Haru-chan look mad?"

Another longer pause. "I can't tell," Gou said at last. "It's too dark."

Seijuro sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was early evening and he was tired but here they were back at the Iwatobi lodges. Haru had finally shown back up from wherever he had gone off to – from the looks of it he had been at the pool – and Makoto had swiftly tracked him down. The two had gone outside for privacy but that had proved incredibly ineffectual. Gou and Nagisa, those two hooligans, were crowded against the wall, peeking around the corner to where Makoto and Haru were on the other side of the wrap-around porch. Spying.

"Don't you think that's enough eavesdropping?" scolded Rei. "I'm sure Makoto and Haruka-senpai would not like it if they knew we were snooping on them at such a critical time."

"Don't bother," Seijuro replied dully. "I already tried that argument earlier."

"The future of the swim team is at stake here, Rei-chan!" Nagisa keened, ignoring Seijuro's comment. "What if Mako-chan and Haru-chan break up?!" He gasped. "What if the swim team breaks up?!"

"Exactly!" added Gou for emphasis, not pulling away from peeking around the corner.

Rei's lips pressed together. "I doubt that will happen," he remarked but said nothing more in argument against their spying.

Seijuro scratched the back of his head, frowning. "How can they break up if they weren't together?"

"Shhh!" Gou shushed him.

He let out another deep breath. He could feel himself growing close to a pout or sulk. This isn't what he had had in mind when Gou had told him to come to the Iwatobi lodges. Not asked him to come with her. _Told_ him. "It's our fault this happened!" she had insisted. "It's our job to make sure it gets set right!"

"But wouldn't it be better to let them solve their own issues?" Seijuro had asked, immediately causing Gou to drop her bag with a clunk and whirl to face him.

"You're coming and that's final!"

Oh, well. Truthfully Seijuro was a little curious to see how things would resolve themselves and found himself rooting for Makoto. _Get the girl!_ Or boy, as the case might be.

And maybe having Gou demand his presence here like that had been nice to hear. Having her insist he be there with her was rather thrilling. In fact he sort of liked it when she bossed him around too. In fact he really, really liked it. When she was forceful he found it really, really exciting.

_I'm getting off topic here._

Anyway the biggest pain had been trying to leave the facility before they could even get back home. Nanase had been nowhere to be found and Seijuro could only assume he had completely departed their hosted trip. He must have taken a cab without telling anyone. And of course it had to happen on a day when the host country had decided to do roll call and keep everyone accounted for.

"He wasn't feeling so well," Nagisa had tried explaining once they had noticed Nanase's absence. "So he went home."

The host had been less than accommodating hearing this, not that Seijuro could blame her. It would look awfully bad if one of the students she was in charge of suddenly disappeared. "Who authorized his dismissal?" she had wanted to know and after a few moments of seeing Nagisa struggle, ummming and uhhhing, Seijuro had said he had.

Being in his position gave him a little more clout. He was the one solely in charge of Samezuka, not that the host was any happier hearing that. He received a stern talking to and some heavy scolding, but it was a small price to pay for what Makoto and the rest of Iwatobi had done.

Time and time again they had gone out of their way to conceal his and Gou's secret, despite the fact that it was completely him and Gou's own fault and their own stupid mistake. Iwatobi had nothing to do with it but they still continued to help without asking anything in return. They were really good people and Seijuro owed them quite a bit.

"Oh, looks like things are getting serious," Gou commented and Seijuro raised his head. From around the corner he could hear Makoto's voice. It had risen in volume but Seijuro could not make out the exact words. He leaned over to see around the corner.

Haru and Makoto were standing near the railing facing each other. Makoto was gesturing quite animatedly and the desperation in his voice was palpable. Haru listened, face impassive, saying nothing, and Seijuro didn't think it was going to go in Makoto's favor when suddenly Haru stepped forward. He silenced Makoto's jeremiad most appropriately with his lips.

"Ah," said Nagisa. "Looks like they're making up."

"You mean _making out_ ," disputed Rei, face absolutely red.

Gou leaned back against the wall and away from the corner with a giggle. "Looks like everything's alright then!" She clapped her hands together, making Nagisa scold her for being too loud, her bickering back, loudly, that she wasn't being loud.

_Better than alright._ Seijuro barely restrained the urge to cheer on Makoto. Not only would it blow their cover but Haru would be more than upset being disturbed during such an intimate moment. He might make that pouty face again that Seijuro didn't want to see. Makoto might die of embarrassment too.

He and Gou didn't linger long afterwards. It was late and Makoto and Haru would want to be alone now Seijuro was sure. Nagisa and Rei were a presence they could not do anything about, but him and Gou would be unwanted guests. It was best to skedaddle before they became a nuisance and he insisted they do so.

He was faintly surprised when Gou followed him rather than making her way to the other Iwatobi lodge. He had expected her to stay for the night since she was already conveniently right there but she went with him as if it were the most natural thing in the world for them to go home together.

He was careful to make no comment about it. If he did she might think he was implying he didn't want her to come with him or it might make her realize that she _should_ find it abnormal. He wanted them going together to feel normal and natural, and when something was just so, then there was no comment needed.

Gou seemed to have a bad case of the giggles however. She kept laughing as they made their way down the street. "What is it?" Seijuro asked when she continued giggling.

"Nothing, nothing." She waved a hand. "I'm just…really happy for Makoto and Haruka-senpai I guess. I'm glad it worked out for them."

"Me too."

Makoto had gotten the person he had wanted for a very long time. Good for him. He deserved it.

"And to think that would never have happened if we hadn't gotten married."

He meant it as a joke but right after the words left his mouth he realized how true it was. If they hadn't gotten married Gou's name wouldn't have been changed and Makoto wouldn't have done what he had to try and stop them from calling it out. Who knew how long it would have taken for those two to make a move otherwise. If ever. They could finally stop dancing around each other now.

Gou's smile was gentle. "Yeah," she agreed softly. "You're right."

Seijuro glanced down with a hint of surprise when she moved over to him. Her hand was aligned next to his and when she reached for him, entwining her fingers through his, he was so startled he nearly stopped walking. Thoughts became foreign concepts, his mind deteriorating into a fuzzy white blank. His skin felt like it had caught on fire, becoming so hot he could already feel himself breaking out into a sweat. What if his hand became sweaty? That would totally gross Gou out. She'd never want to hold his hand again.

Suddenly Gou laughed lightly. Her cheeks were slightly pink. "Your face is awfully red," she commented slyly. "Captain."

He grunted in a huffy way, glancing away as he felt the pervasive heat making its way up his skin. Gou had caught him completely off guard and his utter incompetence was so embarrassing. His embarrassment at the situation was embarrassing! He had imagined himself being so much more suave and seductive, but instead he felt like a toddler tripping over his own shoes.

At his reaction Gou laughed. Her hand tightened around his and somehow Seijuro felt himself relaxing. Maybe he was bad with girls but what did that matter? He just had to be good with one, right?

He laced his fingers through hers, pulling her slightly closer, and as he did so it suddenly occurred to him this would be ending soon. A few more weeks and they would be returning home. A few more weeks and it would all be over. In a few weeks he would have to let her go.

He tightened his hold.

He wondered just how exactly was he expected to do that.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure where I wanted to end this so it turned out becoming the longest chapter yet. Yay for closure! And we're starting to get close to the end here so that's always a good thing!


	26. Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay it's finally done! I had the absolute worst writer's block I have ever experienced since I started this fic and so that's partly the reason why this chapter took so long. My apologies! I have also started working again (yay job!)so my free time will be a bit more limited but hopefully the next update won't take as long as this one did.
> 
> Also this fic turned a year old last month! I can't believe it. My baby is growing up so fast.

Seijuro rubbed his fingers over his eyes and blinked rapidly. He shook his head as if trying to disperse flies, although it was tiredness he was really trying to disperse. The lack of sleep from last night was getting to him. He knew it would, but he had been too excited and restless to sleep despite knowing he had a hard day of practice ahead of him. And so he had decided to take a break, taking some time to observe his teammates and their progress instead. As captain he was responsible for not only his own performance but others too. It was his duty to make sure absolutely everyone was in their best condition. Because if they didn't win then what was the point?

And, well, it did give him a good excuse to be lazy for a little bit without making a bad impression.

He made his way from the locker room down to the front end of the pool, where the relay team was in the midst of practicing. Ueda and Noro stood several feet back from the pool. They must have just finished their turn, for their hair was dripping wet and Ueda had a towel slung over his shoulders. Nitori was there with them, standing at the very edge of the pool and recording their times. The smaller boy may not be the best swimmer, having lost in the 400m free in the first round, but he was incredibly reliable and diligent when it came to other matters. In some ways he reminded Seijuro of Nakagawa and Gou when it came to his studiousness.

"Hey captain!" Noro greeted him.

"Are you done for the day?" asked Ueda.

"Just taking a break." He stiffened slightly as within his jacket pocket his phone buzzed to life. He knew without looking who the message would be from. Upon first entering the locker room he had texted Gou, not even waiting until he had changed out of his swimming gear to send her one. If he was truly honest with himself texting Gou had been part of the reason why he had decided to get out of the pool early. Because he wanted to talk to her and right now with both of them at their individual practices texting was the best method in which to do so. He was too nervous to carry the phone around the pool with him whilst he was swimming. If he forgot about it and jumped in it'd be ruined, and Gou had bought him this phone. He really didn't want to make a mistake with it because of that.

He was glad Matsuoka was presently in the water doing his turn of the relay. It was unlikely the red head would know who it was Seijuro was texting, or even want to know, but it was best not to take chances. Not that Matsuoka being in the water or not was going to stop Seijuro from bringing the phone out. Seijuro went after the things he wanted and he wanted to talk to Gou. All the time.

He glanced discreetly down at the text. ' _We're over at Goro and Ama-chan's for a hot pot'_. He blinked. He knew who the 'we' was: her and the Iwatobi boys. And Goro and Amakata were with them too apparently. Maybe he had read that other part wrong? No, the words were definitely hot pot. But why a hot pot in the middle of summer?

_Must be one of Sasabe's ideas._ Seijuro wouldn't have been surprised if the coach had read about doing such a thing in one of those ludicrous swimsuit magazines he had such a plethora of. Although Seijuro did enjoy looking at the swim suits in those magazines. Not the models, just the swim suits.

A venomous curse brought his attention upwards. The voice was unmistakable and carefully Seijuro crossed his arms, tucking the phone safely away into the crook of them. Matsuoka had finished his run but by his reaction it must not have gone very well.

For a split second Nitori's expression was one of concern and worriment, but he masked it so quickly Seijuro would have missed it if he had blinked. "Matsuoka-senpai, you're doing great!" Nitori said as Matsuoka made his way out the pool, and he spoke so encouragingly and convincingly that Seijuro would have believed he truly meant it if he hadn't been watching before. "We'll easily beat Nanase-kun and his team- "

His words came to a crashing halt as Matsuoka took the towel hanging over his arm and walked off without saying a single word, not acknowledging the boy's presence in the slightest.

Or his fellow relay members. Seijuro didn't miss the raised eyebrow Ueda aimed at Matsuoka's retreating back, nor Ueda's less than pleased expression at the ever loud silence Matsuoka left in his wake. Noro was too busy being lost in his own little world, having not noticed Matsuoka's snub but that was what partly made Noro a strong candidate for the relay. He tended to get along with everyone. But there were others on the relay where Matsuoka's lack of communication would not be a tolerated occurrence.

Seijuro pressed his teeth together. Matsuoka was more on edge than usual. Being frustrated at his lackluster performance was one thing but treating his relay mates with such blatant disregard was concerning. Relays weren't just about personal performance. It was a group effort. Out of everyone Seijuro would have assumed Matsuoka would understood that the best. A sneaking suspicion tickled at the edge of his mind that Matsuoka was somehow focused on something else besides his own relay team.

The phone vibrating in his hand jerked his attention back to the device. Another text from Gou. Two in a row from her and without him responding to her initial response? She had never done that before. And never before had she sent him a text simply to talk to him; there had always been a reason before, like getting into the house or swimming or the training camp.

He tried his best to retain his blank expression, but he could feel the spasms in the corners of his lips as he tried to fight off the smile, eventually having to raise his hand to his mouth like he were blocking a cough for extra protection in case anyone looked over at him.

He read the message, blinked, then read it again to make sure he wasn't mistaken. Nope, he wasn't hallucinating. Iwatobi was having a—

* * *

"A barbeque?" Goro's tone was so incredulous Gou could have sliced it with a knife and she looked up from clearing the plates off the table to where everyone sat outside on the porch. Everyone had been quick to retreat out there once they had finished the hot pot to allow it to cool down inside. It had finally done so enough that Gou didn't feel like she was giving herself a shower in her own sweat when she stepped inside.

"You must be joking. We don't have time for something like that."

"Don't be like that, Goro-chan!" Nagisa protested. "We could do the barbeque in the evening! It's not like we're going to be practicing at night."

"Don't give him any ideas!" Rei hissed.

Goro grunted, slightly distracted by Amakata setting down a plate of watermelon slices between them for dessert. If he was distracted more by Amakata or the watermelon Gou didn't know and didn't _want_ to know. "Don't just ask for expensive things."

"Barbeques aren't expensive!"

"Oh, a barbeque?" Amakata questioned, deftly swiping the bowl of watermelon away from Nagisa before he had a chance to devour them all. "What a great idea! We should do that!"

Goro's mouth fell open, like he had just been betrayed or something, and Nagisa let out an exclamation that frightened birds out of the nearby trees.

"Well, it _would_ be a good way to celebrate our departure from this country," said Amakata. "We only have a few weeks left here after all. It'll be a good returning-home event."

Nagisa threw his hands in the air. "Yay, barbeque!"

"It's nothing to get _that_ excited about!" said Rei.

"Who's going to be doing all the shopping for this?" asked Goro. "And don't say me!"

"Rei-chan?"

"Don't just volunteer me!"

"Who's going to cook it all?" asked Goro.

"Rei-chan?"

Rei made a sound like an angry cat in a fight and Gou headed into the kitchen with a grimace. She'd have to be the one to do the shopping most likely. She didn't trust the other boys to do the shopping, outside of Makoto and Rei anyway. If she left it to Haru it would be nothing but mackerel, and if she left it to Goro it would be nothing but pizza. And if she left it to Nagisa…Well, best not to think about it. After the cereal incident she shuddered to think what his barbeque would consist of.

She was glad though. She had wanted a barbeque ever since they had done their week long training camp at the ocean, but instead all she had gotten was nearly drowned and a bad cold. It was about time they had a real barbeque!

She placed the plates into the kitchen sink. It felt a bit weird being back in the kitchen of Amakata and Goro's place. She hadn't been there in a while and thinking back to this being the place she was originally supposed to have lived was a bit odd. She had gotten so used to Seijuro's she couldn't imagine staying anywhere else now. Or with anyone else.

Speaking of which. She pulled out her phone to text Seijuro about the barbeque. She hadn't received a response from him about the hot pot message but that wasn't going to stop her from sending him another one. Lately communicating with him so often and so freely was…kind of nice. It was a far cry from when she had felt like any communication she sent him would bug him.

Snapping her phone closed, she raised her head, noticing for the first time the stack of reading material that had been placed at the edge of the kitchen counter. Goro's swimsuit magazines. If she remembered correctly he had collected the ones out of the boys' lodge. He had been seemingly awfully worried about the boys going through the magazines for some reason. It wasn't like the magazines were _that_ dirty, at least not as far as Gou knew. Maybe Goro was concerned the boys would become too attached to the magazines, like Nitori with that picture. Not that any of the Iwatobi boys appeared to be particularly interested in girls…

There was a strange book sitting amidst the stack of magazines and Gou slid closer to peer at. Along its spine 'Iwatobi Swimming Club' had been crudely written on it. Which meant it was…

She pulled the magazines off, hardly sparing a glance for the pretty ladies adorning the covers, and unearthed the item. She flipped it open and let out a laugh at what she saw. Goro had brought _this_ with him? Out of all the limited items he would be able to bring along on the plane he had chosen _this? How nostalgic!_ Unless he had accidentally mistaken it for one of his swimsuit magazines and grabbed it on accident. Either way she _had_ to show this to the boys.

She brought it out to them, holding it high above her head. "Look what I found!" She proudly displayed her find, too excited to properly register Goro's strangely panicked, "Hey, don't snoop around!" and Amakata's desperate, "W-wait, Gou-chan!" as she walked by them.

"It's a photo album of the swimming club!" Gou announced.

Amakata oddly let out a sigh that sounded like she had just been let off death row while Goro splayed a hand over his chest.

"Ohhh!" Nagisa immediately came closer to look. "Where'd you find that, Gou-chan?"

"It's Coach Sasabe's! And it's Kou!"

"You brought this along with you, Goro-chan? You must really love us!"

"It was intended for motivational purposes!"

Gou lowered the book to the floor and everyone gathered around to take a look. Except for Rei, who peculiarly stood back out of the group.

"Wow, these bring back memories!" Nagisa's gaze darted over the photos like he didn't know where to start. "Look! There's Gou-chan! And Rin-chan!" He pointed to a picture of a much younger Gou clinging to the arm of her much less shark-toothed brother. Rin wasn't exactly smiling in the photo, far too embarrassed having his sister cling to him in front of his friends like that, but he wasn't scowling either. Unlike these days.

Back then before he had come back from Australia with a chip on his shoulder he used to take her hand all the time. Not anymore though.

"This is when we had a barbeque behind the club!" Nagisa pointed to another picture.

Gou peered at the new picture Nagisa had pointed out, somewhat glad for the distraction. Her brow furrowed. "I don't remember that barbeque at all. I don't see brother anywhere either."

"That was before Rin had transferred," Makoto explained. "He wasn't part of the swim team at the time." His eyes lit up and he leaned forward. "This is from the summer tournament when we were in fifth grade, isn't it?"

He pointed and Gou didn't miss how his finger landed on a certain dark haired boy, holding a winners certificate, who never seemed capable of smiling for the camera. She was about to make a comment about Haru's lack of ability to smile when something else in the photo caught her attention and she blinked. In the background, behind the members of the Iwatobi swim club, stood four boys. One of them looked strikingly familiar and she pointed to the figure. "Is that my brother?"

Haru leaned forward to see better the photo she indicated. "We didn't know Rin yet," he said simply as way of explanation and she was unable to determine his mood at all by his tone. He was in better spirits than he had been right after the race against her brother, especially after what had happened between Makoto and him the other night, but when it came to her brother she still didn't know where Haru's feelings lay.

But more interestingly perhaps was that Haru and her brother had been racing each other even before they had properly known each other. That was a little surprising. Maybe the two of them had always been destined to end up competing with the other no matter what they did.

"Oh, this must be where Rin starts showing up." Goro indicated a picture taken during the wintertime. Snow lined the ground and the Iwatobi swim team was lined up together showing off their snowmen. From the looks of it Haru and Makoto had made one together, an arching dolphin. Her brother next to them had made a shark head pointing up from the ground as if breaching. _How typical._

"This was when you were training for the tournament," Goro continued. "Rin was really fired up back then."

_How typical too._ Nothing had ever managed to get Rin's blood flowing so much as competitive swimming did.

The movement of Haru turning his head made her glance up. He was looking at Rei and across his face was that same concerned expression she had seen in the locker room. Come to think of it Rei hadn't said a single word since Gou had brought out the photo album. He had been so quiet she had nearly forgotten he was there. She looked over but was unable to read anything by his expression and she was soon quickly distracted by Nagisa pointing out another photograph. Whatever was going on with Rei would have to wait until later.

It was getting late by the time they finished going through the album and Gou followed the boys to the other lodge to quickly go over their schedule. "Tomorrow night will be the barbeque. I'll do the shopping for it after you guys start practice." That would give her a nice break from running back and forth. Her calves were still sore from that.

"That sounds good. Will you need some help with that?" asked Makoto.

Gou considered. "I'll ask Hana-chan." She hadn't seen the other girl in a while and going grocery shopping would be a convenient way to spend time together and do what she needed to. _Kill two birds with one stone._ She still needed to invite the girl besides. She looked up in surprise to see the four boys heading to the back door. "Are you guys going somewhere?" It was already pretty late.

Makoto coughed. "We're going to take a walk along the beach." His smile was a little stiffer than usual. "Its such a nice night out."

That it was but now? It was a little late to be going for a stroll when they had practice tomorrow. She opened her mouth to say so when Haru suddenly spoke up. "You should go invite Captain Mikoshiba to the barbeque."

Gou was so stunned by such a direct sentence coming from Haru that she didn't know how to respond to it.

"Make sure you invite Sei-chan, Gou-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Use sexual appeal to get him to come!"

"I'm not going to use that!" _Talk about improper word choice._ She swallowed. "A-and I already invited him anyway." She tried to ignore the blush creeping up her neck and shot a glare of daggers at the satisfied smirk Nagisa sent her way.

"You should go home and let him know about it then," Haru said and Gou blinked over at him. He was looking at her mildly but underneath his blasé façade she felt something else, like he was holding up a big 'Do not enter' sign. He was trying to be polite but it was pretty clear he didn't want her tagging along on the boys' stroll. Maybe it had something to do with all those concerned looks he had been sending Rei's way?

She didn't know, but it was obvious he didn't want her there and she didn't want to intrude on their personal matters. Her being there might make Rei uncomfortable. If he was going to talk about whatever it was that was bothering he would likely only do it with those he felt the most comfortable, and that would be the Iwatobi boys.

She left them to it and departed for the house, texting Seijuro along the way to see where he was. 'At home' the text read. Good. She had barely seen him all day.

"I'm home."

"Welcome home!" Seijuro was on the couch. A plate of food was in his lap and in his hand he held his phone.

"Were you about to call someone?" His mother? _Should I flee?_ His mother would surely be suspicious hearing some girl enter Seijuro's place of residence and spouting about being home.

But he shook his head. "I was just about to text where you were."

"Oh. Sorry, I was almost home so I figured I'd just walk in." She took a seat next to him, squinting at the TV. On the screen a man in a yellow jumpsuit was inching along some sort of vine infested scaffold towards some weird boxes attached to it. "What are you watching?"

"I'm not sure. I think it's some sort of reality TV show where they have to disarm bombs in a certain amount of time."

"R-really?" Bombs? She looked back at the screen. Well, that would explain those little boxes. But what happened if the contestant failed, she wondered. _This country has some really haphazard ideas._

"There was nothing else on. I still haven't been able to find that movie you talked about. 'Girls Who Scream Bloody Murder.'" Seijuro frowned in disappointment.

Gou managed to fight off her laugh. He was still looking for that darn thing and she almost felt a bit of pity for him on his endless search for something that didn't exist. Maybe one day she'd show him. On a special occasion, like his birthday or something. She was sure he'd appreciate that.

"When are you guys going to have this barbeque?" he asked her.

"Tomorrow night. I'm going shopping for it tomorrow afternoon."

"Canned mackerel and pineapple?"

An old joke now. She shuddered. "I _never_ want to see that stuff again. That's exactly why _I'm_ the one going shopping. It would be a mess if I left it up to those boys." A thought occurred to her then. "You could invite some Samezuka members if you like. I'm sure we'll have enough food."

"Maybe." He shot a sidelong glance at her. "Are you planning on inviting your brother?"

"My brother?" She hadn't even thought of inviting him. Should she? She took a long moment to consider that. "No, I don't think I will."

"Is it because of the uhhhh…"

It took a second for her to realize what he meant. The marriage. "Oh, no. Not because of that." She shrugged. "It's just…I know he wouldn't come so…" _So why even bother inviting him?_

Seijuro didn't respond to that. He was looking to the wall, face a little grim, his fork a few inches off his plate.

"Something wrong?"

"No, no, it's nothing." He held out his plate to her. "Want some?"

"What is it?"

"Pasta salad."

It did look good, but she had eaten so much of that hot pot... "No, thank you. I'm stuffed."

She stayed in the living room to watch TV for a bit, genuinely curious to see what would happen if a contestant failed disarming the bombs in time. Surely they wouldn't allow someone to blow up on TV, would they? _Then again in this country there's really no telling._

As she lay there she couldn't help but wonder about the boys again. Hopefully whatever was going on would be solved and they would be back to their usual joyful antic selves tomorrow. She didn't like thinking there was discord among them and didn't want them to be troubled during the barbeque.

Still she had faith they would be able to solve whatever it was. They were a team after all.

Just like she had faith they would be able to bring back the boy Rin used to be.

She blinked lazily. Her eyelids were dragging as she grew sleepier. She moved her arms more securely around Seijuro's pillow and stretched out, her legs having become cramped from being curled up for too long. Her feet brushed against Seijuro's side. Under normal circumstances she might have jerked back with an apology, but as it were she was too tired to really care.

Besides, his warmth against her skin was rather relaxing. She had always enjoyed his warmth. He had always been warm.

Her heart sped up when he laid his arm along her legs. His elbow came to lie at her ankles and his hand lightly around her calf. She looked discreetly over at his face, but he hadn't even glanced her way, eyes still glued to the TV as if his action had been done completely unconsciously and not purposely. She wasn't sure if she believed that or not.

She swallowed, fighting the surge of self-consciousness that sang through her. The feel of his hand - his large very warm hand - on her in a rather intimate way was making her mind race to dangerous places. Like that night at the hotel room.

_Don't think of something dirty, you pervert!_ Maybe her brother had been right about her when he had made that joke about big feet and she hadn't thought of big shoes…

It took a few minutes for her to calm down, her heartbeat gradually slowing down to a much more normal pace and her self-consciousness subsiding. As she grew more comfortable so did her sleepiness and she soon found herself having a very hard time keeping her eyes open. She closed them. _I'll just rest them for a bit…_

She was awoken by a hand shaking her leg. A large warm familiar hand and a familiar voice. "Hey."

The noise she made in response was somewhere between a groan and a grunt and she blinked open her gritty eyes. She rolled onto her back, letting out another groan and rubbing her hands across her face.

"Sorry," she slurred. "I fell asleep." She hadn't even realized she had drifted off and her feet for some reason were laying on something that was a little too overly warm to be the couch. She slit open an eye underneath her hand to see they had landed up in Seijuro's lap. _Oops._ She was too sleep addled to properly care at the moment. "How long was I asleep for?"

"Not too long," Seijuro informed her. Beyond him she could see the black screen of the now silent TV. He must have recently turned it off. "You should head to bed. Big day tomorrow."

"Yeah," she yawned around her words. "The barbeque." She struggled to get herself onto her elbow and her feet to the floor, hoisting herself off the couch with an enormous amount of effort. _Honestly getting up after taking a nap should be an Olympic sport._

"Have a good night," Seijuro called after her.

"Night," she grunted back.

It was only once she had sat down on the bed that it suddenly occurred to her. Seijuro could have easily just taken the bed for himself and left her there on the couch. Instead he had woke her up to allow her to take the much more comfortable bed while he remained there.

A small smile spread across her face, warmth infusing her at the thought. _That idiot_.

But then again he had always paid special attention to her, hadn't he? Ever since she had first met him he had always been like that.

She just wished he would think of himself first sometimes.

* * *

The moon was bright and full overhead as Gou dumped the last of the plastic cups into the garbage can. _I think that's it._ She brushed off her hands, turning to inspect the area. All that was left was to wipe down everything, which Yuko and Yuka were already working on, and inside Amakata and Hana were finishing washing up the cooking utensils. _Good!_ Gou was already sick of cleaning.

This was the deal they had made with the boys for the barbeque. The boys had cooked everything and the girls had cleaned afterwards. But Gou hadn't considered how _messy_ they all could be when first initiating the agreement. Nagisa had spilled more punch than he had actually drank, Goro had used _way_ too much lighter fluid on the grill and caused soot to get everywhere, and Haru had insisted on cooking in his swimming trunks, leading the four young womens' motor skills to degenerate into that of a young toddlers. Not to mention how passing so much food around so many people had caused quite a mess on the table. It had taken quite a while to clean up.

Still, all the excellent food and excellent company had made it all worthwhile. It had been a merry meal of chaos and jubilation and Gou was glad that not only had Hana been able to attend but Yuko and Yuka as well. It had been nice having other girls around to socialize with.

And seeing Seijuro cook on the grill had been strangely enticing to watch. More than a little enticing. Gou had had a bad case of the vapors and had to fan herself just watching him. Maybe she should buy a grill for their house. One for him to cook on every night. She didn't care if he even bothered to make anything edible so long as she just got to watch him cook on the thing.

Although trying to explain his presence to Yuko and Yuka when he had first arrived had been more than a little nerve wracking. The two girls were familiar enough with the Iwatobi boys to know who they were and Seijuro stuck out like a sore thumb. Thankfully Amakata had come to Gou's rescue, the teacher telling the girls Seijuro was a friend of the boys, and Yuka and Yuko had accepted that without question. Gou could have kissed her.

Speaking of good things to watch. Gou maneuvered over to the table, mindlessly picking up a sponge and moving it back and forth so it would look like she was cleaning. The boys had found a football inside the closet with the camping gear and shortly after eating they had taken it to play on the beach. They hadn't managed to put together a football game, all of them having been too busy disagreeing with each other, and instead they had settled on simply tossing it around. Not that that wasn't fun to watch. Gou was rather enjoying the view. _So many muscles…_

Apparently Yuka was just as enthralled for she suddenly commented, "Tachibana-san is pretty cute."

Gou turned her head to hide her laughter. Makoto it seemed could be quite popular with the ladies. Too bad there was only one certain person he wanted and that person wasn't exactly very feminine. Makoto was going to leave quite a few broken hearts in his wake.

"Mikoshiba-san is really cute too," said Yuko.

_That_ wasn't so funny. Gou's smile melted like butter.

"I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

Gou's eyes narrowed venomously, her hand tightening around the sponge so forcefully it soaked her fingers.

"N-now, now." Amakata's laughter was unusually high. "L-let's hurry and finish up now, girls." She clapped her hands. "Does anyone have some paper towels?"

"Here, sensei! I have them!" Hana propelled a roll into the hands of each of the girls and aimed a wink at Gou over their heads.

Gou shook off her hand, finding herself strangely blushing. Amakata and Hana were being a bit over the top in their intervention considering there was no danger of Yuko and Yuka finding out about the marriage. It wasn't like Seijuro and her were _actually_ together or anything…

They washed the last of the dirty dishes and counters, and then moved to head outside to join the boys.

"Gou-chan." Amakata held out a small plastic bag to her. "Will you take these out to the boys please?"

Gou took the bag, peering at the long thin shapes. "What is it?"

"Fireworks."

"Fireworks?"

Amakata sighed. "Goro bought them right before the first race but forgot about them. I thought the boys might enjoy them, and it would be best to use them now before Goro gets any other crazy ideas to use them for."

Fireworks! Gou stared at the bag. _Good going, Goro!_ The boys were sure to enjoy them and the girls too. She brought them out immediately and showed it to the others.

"Woah!" Seijuro's and Nagisa's eyes lit up like she had just presented them with a huge birthday gift.

"Fireworks!"

"I used to play with these when I was younger!" Seijuro's voice was loud.

"Gou-chan where did you get them?!"

"Ama-chan gave them to me!" she answered. "And it's Kou!"

Goro frowned at the fireworks. "Those look oddly familiar."

Gou pretended she hadn't heard him.

She held the bag as the others dug in. The fireworks were quickly passed around and it wasn't long before all of them had one of the sticks sparking in their hands. Nor was it long before Nagisa proceeded to chase poor Rei around with one of them, yelling for Rei to look at it and Rei shouting back for Nagisa to not point it at him. The antics between the two were a bit of a relief to see. Gou had been more than a little worried when Rei had mysteriously not shown up for practice that morning. Rei was nothing if not diligent and he had he never missed practice before. His sudden absence, especially so close to a competition and without any warning, was very out of character for him. Nagisa had claimed it was food poisoning from some spoiled ice cream, but as Goro had pointed out ice cream couldn't spoil.

Maybe it had something to do with that walk down the beach the boys had taken last night? Gou didn't know. She was still fairly convinced Haru had given Rei some bad mackerel, despite Haru's denial he had given the other boy anything.

Regardless of the real reasoning behind Rei's absence, Gou had left halfway through practice to go get supplies for tonight and hadn't know what else had happened. She was aware the boys had called it an early day to go check on Rei.

And maybe a big part of why they had called practice early was because it felt weird for the three of them to be swimming without him. If Rei wasn't there then they were no longer a team. She hoped Rei recognized that. And if he didn't before she hoped he did now.

Although Nagisa's casual proclamation that the melon bread they had bought Rei as a gift well gift had nearly killed Haru had been a little confusing. If the boys were putting themselves in mortal danger simply by _eating bread_ then there was no hope for them and Gou would only worry herself that much faster into an early grave. _All these boys really_ will _be the death of me._

Nagisa came running over to her, disturbing her out of her thoughts, and Gou held out the bag for him to dig through.

"Sei-chan!"

Gou grimaced as he went off towards Seijuro. Hopefully he wouldn't try and chase the Samezuka captain around with it. Not that she could imagine Seijuro running away from anything. But the two only fell into loud exclamations about their sparklers and waving them around like they were magic wands or something.

A few yards off were Yuka, Yuko, and Hana, the three girls gathered in a loose circle around each other, holding their sparklers close together and chatting amongst themselves. Goro and Amakata had remained on the porch together, more interested in a glass of wine and some quiet time alone while the teenagers were distracted. Well, a glass of beer in Goro's case. A can of beer.

Haru and Makoto were next to each other by the others, close enough to not exclude themselves but enough away that they could talk quietly to each other in their own little world. Haru touched his unlit sparkler to Makoto's, lighting it that way own rather than going to get the lighter. It was rather endearing and considering how their relationship had come blindly crashing together, it was good to see they were doing well despite that. Just like she had been concerned about Rei's welfare she had been concerned about Makoto and Haru as well and if their relationship could work once receiving such a violent shove forward.

Then again in order to light a fire you need a spark. Makoto had delivered just that the day at the plant. If for not that then they may never have been able to move forward.

_If there is at least one good thing that has come out of this whole situation then it's that._

"Have you lit any yet?"

She looked up in surprise to find Seijuro next to her. He must have somehow escaped Nagisa's clutches. She moved the bag in her hands. "Not yet. I've been holding the bag."

He waved his nearly finished one in the air. "You ever played with these before?"

"Of course! Back when I was younger we used to play with them. My brother and me—" She paused at the sudden memory. Funny. It had been so long ago she had nearly forgotten. Back before Rin had gone off to Australia and come back nearly a different person. Back when he used to take her hand. But that was all gone and over with now. "A-anyway we used to play with them all the time."

His sparkler died out and he tossed away the remains. "Here." He reached for the bag and took it from her, handing her one of the fireworks and a lighter from his pocket a moment later.

Gou struggled to light the thing, the wind continually blowing out the lighter before the sparkler could become lit. "It's not working," she grumbled.

"Let me try." Seijuro took it. He ran his thumb down the wheel and Gou leaned in, coming in closer to use his body as a shelter to block the wind, her shoulder nearly pressed against his chest. The close proximity reminded her once more of how warm his skin could be. Like a cozy fire she could curl into. And maybe she already had. She could barely recall that bus ride back from the sawgrass park, having been so tired, but faintly she could remember waking up to warmth and arms. And a feeling of cherishment.

Her sparkler finally caught and she jerked back at the sudden shower of light.

"Ha, there!" Seijuro crowed in triumph. "See, all you need is a spark."

Gou faltered at the words, nearly stumbling in the sand at the familiarity of them. Could it be…But she hadn't even said anything. She shook her head. It was nothing more than a coincidence.

"I'm glad your friends got to come," said Seijuro as Gou drew letters in the air. "It was nice being able to meet them."

"Yeah, I'm glad they got to come too." _So long as Yuko keeps her hands to herself anyway._ And her eyes. And her words. _Actually just everything._ Gou's letters became a little more jagged. She drew a G followed by a K. "Did you not invite any Samezuka members by the way?"

"I didn't."

"Really?" That was unexpected. She drew a S in the air. "Why not?"

There was a half moment of silence, the only sound that of the waves and their companions chatting quietly in the distance, and Gou's sparkler showering its glitter into a cascade of tiny falling stars.

"Because then I wouldn't have been able to be with you."

Gou's sparkler froze in the midst of writing out an E. She opened her mouth, closed it, looked around as if trying to find answers in the sand and water. Her face grew so hot she would likely make the ocean boil if she walked into it. She had no idea what to say and her brain was scrambling desperately to remember it still functioned and that she should say something in return that wasn't incredibly awkward. "Y-you would have been able to have done that anyway!" Her voice was more like a croak. "Yuko and Yuka are here."

The corner of his mouth twitched. He looked off to the side and Gou thought she saw a hint of red on his cheeks. It was hard to tell with only the light from the tiny sparkler in her hand.

"It isn't the same," he said simply.

It took her a moment but Gou thought she understood a bit of what he meant. If he had brought along one of his swim team members it would have been hard for the two of them to be around each other and away from the others. The two of them alone would have naturally caused curiosity and with Rin on the swim team curiosity was a bad thing. But Yuko and Yuka were a bit safer. Because they didn't know Seijuro and most importantly they didn't know Rin either. It would be much harder for Rin to hear anything, even a slip, from those two.

"I-I see." She coughed to loosen her tight throat. Her heart was hammering in her breast and she looked about herself, seeking a distraction to take away some of her nervousness. She coughed again. "It really is a pretty night out."

"I can think of something prettier."

Gou's heartbeat was so loud it was nearly like a buzzing in her ear. She feigned ignorance. "The moon?"

Seijuro hummed. It was a low rumble that vibrated somewhere deep in Gou's chest, traveling up her neck and making her whole body do some sort of weird stiff quivering. She shook herself, trying not to look like some sort of perverted idiot as she did so.

"Something a little closer."

She looked out across the beach to where the moon glittered on the waves, making the water look like it were made of silver. "The ocean?"

He snorted. "After what happened last time in the ocean definitely not."

She laughed a little at that remark and that helped relax her. A near death experience wasn't exactly the most romantic or beautiful of excursions she had to agree. "T-thank you by the way."

The strange words made him look questionably up.

She shifted on her feet and jerked her hand away when she accidentally brought the sparkler too close to her legs. "I-I mean for saving my life." She shook her smarting hand. "I know I've said it before but I guess I just…I felt like I should say it again. If you hadn't shown up when you had…" She couldn't bring herself to finish that. She swallowed. Her fingers tightened around the sparkler. "Thank you for being there," she finished quietly.

There was a long moment of silence. "You don't have to thank me for that."

Gou's brows furrowed. That was an odd thing for him to say. "Why not?"

The sparkler tapered and then went out, bathing them both in only the muted light from the porch. She could see his outline but not his expression, and when he stepped towards her she tilted her head back slightly to keep his face in view. When he placed his hand underneath her chin, slowly, slowly, she didn't move away, and when he tilted her face up further she remained where she was as though she were rooted to the spot.

He kissed her.

This kiss wasn't like before. This wasn't like the first time when he had been more direct and thorough. He had been trying to prove something back then. This was something that was more delicate. This was gentler, softer, like a whisper against her flesh, a bare touch that was almost hardly a touch at all. Something that was precious and treasured. Cherished.

It lasted only a few seconds and then Seijuro leaned back. His hand fell away.

"That's why," he said.

He moved to walk around her, heading back to the house, and she turned to keep him sight. His figure approaching caught Nagisa's attention right away and within seconds the blond was calling out his name.

Gou turned back towards the ocean. She pushed her wayward hair out of her face.

She didn't understand what he meant. Not at all.

But against her lips she felt his touch, his warmth, and in her heart a glow she had not known before.

She hoped it lasted forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am guesstimating but there will likely only be about 5-6 chapters left for this fic depending on the length and how I decide to break up chapters now! We're finally getting close to the ending! Yay closure!
> 
> Also a big thank you to everyone who has commented, bookmarked, and left kudos! You guys have really given me the motivation to keep up with this fic considering how much longer it has taken to get through then I had originally planned. Thank you guys so much!


	27. Crack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been super, super busy lately (I literally finished editing this in my hotel room on a business trip) and this chapter turned out to be much longer than I originally anticipated so its taken me a long time to get this finished. I should be moving into my own place within the next week or two though, so hopefully then things will start to calm down! Thank you for all the kudos and comments! Hopefully the next update won't take so long.

The sun was shining the next morning. The sun was shining and the water was flowing and Gou had never felt better. The sunlight shone down, soothing her with its warmth, and she found herself leaning into it, bending her head from side to side to allow it to race over her.

Everyone seemed to be in a good mood this morning. Even Goro, the coach having nothing but praise to sing for the boys and their performances. And their performances were better than ever.

The practice today felt different somehow. Each of the boys was in perfect form. Their times were good, their exchanges were superb, and their stamina was holding out well. Their practice lacked the hurried franticness that had dominated their previous days, as if the boys hadn't really hadn't known what they were doing or if they could even pull it off. But today there was a self-assurance, an understanding of wholeness and completion. As if the four of them had come together at last, fitting together their individual pieces to form a complete puzzle.

A team.

To the side Haru went up to Rei as Makoto and Nagisa were busy in the pool, and Gou watched as he suggested they work on their exchange in the meantime. It was the first time she could recall Haru requesting such a thing from Rei, the older boy offering him an extended invitation rather than the unblocked door he normally presented to his underclassman. The enthusiastic "Yes!" Rei responded with was enough to cause the smile that had been constantly flirting around Gou's lips since she had woken up this morning to spread fully.

_Everything's perfect._

She hugged her notebook to her chest, heart so alight with euphoria she felt it may fly up into the sky. She smiled, a warmth that had nothing to do with the sun spreading through her.

Everything was perfect.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Seijuro stood next to Nitori, arms crossed over his chest as together they watched Matsuoka finish his lap. To say the red head was struggling would have been an understatement. He was floundering. His times had become some of the worse Seijuro had ever seen and watching him was almost cringe worthy.

Seijuro wasn't the only one who noticed either, for Nitori observed quietly, "Matsuoka-senpai seems really off today."

That he did. Matsuoka's mind seemed to be elsewhere than on their upcoming competition or even his own swimming, and Seijuro couldn't help but liken the teenager's movements to a machine. Matsuoka's heart wasn't in his swimming. No part of him was. He was simply moving automatically. Seijuro had hoped Matsuoka's struggles had been a temporary occurrence but it appeared to be only worsening. "Did he say anything to you, Nitori?"

Nitori shook his head. He pouted out his bottom lip. "He never tells me anything."

_That sounds awfully familiar._ Just as Gou had said. Now Matsuoka was shutting Nitori completely out as well. _What is he hoping to accomplish?_

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about!" Nitori commented suddenly and Seijuro raised his eyebrows slightly at the change of attitude. "I'm sure Matsuoka-senpai went through much tougher experiences while he was abroad!"

Nitori was a little too hopeful to be legit. But then again Nitori had a knack for finding the best in others. That had been part of the reason why Seijuro had initially assigned him to be Matsuoka's roommate. Matsuoka, he was sure, must have felt a bit out of place returning to his homeland after being in Australia for so long. Nitori had been one of the best candidates for providing a welcoming and friendly presence to help Matsuoka integrate not only into the swim team but Japan as well. And Matsuoka provided a figure for Nitori to aspire for.

So Matsuoka inspired Nitori to be a better swimmer, but Seijuro's hopes that might work in reverse too and Nitori would inspire Matsuoka to be more amiable didn't look to have worked so well.

"Matsuoka didn't join the swim team when he first transferred here," Seijuro said carefully. "Do you know why?"

"No." Nitori tilted his head. "Did something happen?"

Seijuro's shoulders stiffened slightly. He had a feeling. Nothing but a feeling, but he felt it had something to do with Iwatobi. Maybe that was why Matsuoka had wanted to join the relay so badly.

He shook himself. Whatever had happened between Matsuoka and the Iwatobi members was none of his business. Inquiring about Matsuoka's past would only anger the other boy and Seijuro didn't want to tread into territory he was unwelcome in. Not to mention how unappreciative the boys in Iwatobi might be if he went sticking his nose into a possibly painful past. In the end his responsibility lay solely in assuring the swim teams success.

"Well, the past doesn't matter. It's performance that counts here. The fastest swimmer always wins."

That golden rule he governed all his swimming by.

"That's all."

* * *

It was dark by the time Seijuro got home. He had stayed late, cleaning up a few things around the locker room, because their time in this country was dwindling, and talking with Nakagawa, because their time in this country was dwindling. The competition was just around the corner and despite Seijuro's excitement he didn't practically like thinking about their definite return.

" _Ueda and Noro's times are good." Nakagawa read from his sheet. "They've been steadily improving. Azuma too." He paused for a moment. "Matsuoka's times however..."_

" _I know," Seijuro closed his locker door. He felt rather than saw Nakagawa's gaze boring into his back._

" _Do you plan to do anything?"_

" _Not as of right now." Seijuro reached for his jacket. "We have some time yet. Let's wait and see how he does."_

_There was a moment of silence then Nakagawa let out that sigh of his that said he was unhappy with Seijuro's decision but was willing to go along with it. "Very well." He flipped methodically through his papers. "Will you be seeing Gou-san tonight?"_

_Seijuro froze in the midst of zipping up his jacket. He hadn't said a single word about Gou to Nakagawa all day. Did Nakagawa somehow know about what was going on? No, there was no way he could know. Unless he had followed Seijuro home one night…But Nakagawa didn't seem like the stealthy, devious type. He was more of the type who would simply ask Seijuro point blank if he suspected Gou was living with him. Quickly Seijuro recovered, his hand finishing its ascent. "Of course I am!"_

_It was better to give Nakagawa a half truth and act like nothing was out of the ordinary. If he tried to lie then Nakagawa would more than likely catch on and that would just land Seijuro in even more hot water._

" _I thought you might be."_

_Seijuro raised an eyebrow._

" _You've been fighting a smile ever since we came in here." Nakagawa's eyes were impish. "Captain."_

Seijuro rubbed the back of his neck. He was going to have to be more careful. Nakagawa noticing that sort of thing wasn't bad but others noticing could spell trouble, especially if a certain shark-toothed redhead grew suspicious. Matsuoka appeared to be primarily occupied with his own demons but it didn't take that much of a stretch of the imagination to believe he would become a demon if he found out what was going on.

Personally Seijuro would have liked to tell the whole world and everyone in it. But Gou had requested silence and so he would do so. As much as he possibly could anyway. Seijuro wasn't exactly known for being subtle.

He pushed open the door. "I'm home."

"Welcome home!" Gou stood on her knees in the midst of the living room and Seijuro might have found the position a little odd if not for the paintbrush in her hand or the long pieces of paper stretched along the floor. Not to mention the blue paint smeared across her cheek.

"What are you doing?"

"Making a banner!" Gou held up one end to proudly display it, even though it wasn't even halfway finished.

"A banner?"

"For when the boys depart for the competition."

"Ohhhh!" Now he remembered. They had just gotten the letter this morning. The second competition was to be held in a much bigger stadium quite a ways away from their home location and because of that any swimmers that were competing were to be bussed up a day prior and given hotel rooms for the night to insure they would be well rested and not travel weary for the competition. Those that weren't competing would follow up the next day for the actual competition.

Thinking about the competition reminded Seijuro once more of the other Matsuoka sibling. Should he tell Gou about Rin's sudden emotional struggles? He pondered that as he set down his bags and settled on the couch, mindful of her large colorful banner. He watched Gou work, swiping an arm over her head and undoubtedly getting more paint on her face.

No, he decided, he wouldn't. Not now at least. Telling her at this point in time would only cause her to worry, and she had enough to deal with managing the Iwatobi team and the upcoming competition. He didn't want to cause her anymore stress when she had all that going on. When they got back to Japan and things had settled down he would tell her.

_Back to Japan._ That day was creeping up faster and faster. It wouldn't be long at all before they were returning home and somehow the thought didn't make him as happy as he would have expected.

When they landed what would happen? He would return to finish his last year at Samezuka of course. That much was obvious. And Gou would return home to Iwatobi. That much was obvious too.

But what about…

_Us._

He glanced up. Gou was bent over her banner, tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth and her hair hung messily about her face. There were streaks of blue in it, which somehow only made her cuter, and Seijuro found himself wishing for more time. More time for things to stay as they were, with him and her in this house and coming home to each other every day. But thinking like that…That sort of thinking only amounted to the fact that—

He didn't want things to change. The sudden realization felt a bit like slamming into the pool wall after misjudging the distance. Seijuro knew because he had done that before and he had promised himself he would never do it again but now it seemed like he was.

He didn't want things to change.

But then again…who said they had to?

He jumped slightly when Gou shoved the banner at him. "It's done!" She held it up for him to see. "What do you think?"

Across her banner was depicted a large wave, and in the top right corner a red and yellow sun so bright it was almost painful to look at. Words of encouragement like 'Fire it up!' and 'persevere' were scrawled across it, along with the swim clubs name. The whole thing was so extremely colorful the best word Seijuro could think to describe it was loud. So of course he loved it. "Woah, that looks great! You're so great at coloring, Gou-kun! You should make one for our team!"

"It's Kou," she corrected, "and no way! This one already took way too long, I'm not making another one!"

Seijuro suddenly noticed the strange gray drawing of some sort of bird…thing in the bottom right corner of her banner. It didn't look like something Gou had drawn. Seijuro had seen her drawings in her notebook. Well, he had seen her muscle drawings anyway. Come to think of it that was all Gou seemed to draw. Not that Seijuro was complaining. There was a reason he wore a speedo after all. He pointed at the strange bird. "What is that?"

Gou tilted the banner back to look. "That's Iwatobi-chan!"

"Iwatobi-chan?"

"He's our mascot!"

"…Oh." He still had no idea what it was. A canary perhaps? Or a really pensive duck. No wonder Iwatobi didn't wear their mascot on their jerseys.

"Haruka-senpai drew it," Gou explained, turning to the side and searching a place to put her masterpiece. "I thought it would be a nice thing to add for him!"

"Nanase?" He hadn't known the boy was so skilled at drawing. _Skilled at drawing, cooking,_ and _swimming._ It seemed a little bit unfair that the boy had been gifted with so many talents. Seijuro might have been jealous if he had been the type who got jealous. Matsuoka on the other hand was that sort of type. Seijuro narrowed his eyes at the thought.

"We have a hosted event coming up." Gou finally selected a place she deemed safe and moved to place the banner near the opposite wall out of their way. "It's a play being held at the theater downtown."

"Really?" said Seijuro, only half paying attention.

"We're encouraged to dress nicely since it's a formal evening event." She straightened and wiped off her hands. "I hope you brought something. It'll look poorly on us if we don't dress formally!"

"I did, don't worry!" Thankfully he had had the foresight to pack something just in case. Or more accurately his mother had. She had reminded him more than once in the weeks before he had departed that a swim team captain should look esteemed every once in a while, and if he was going to another country to represent his own then he had better be prepared. She had been right, as mothers typically were.

A thought struck him then and he rubbed his chin. If they were going to be dressed up than maybe Gou would wear that hakama of hers again. Seijuro wouldn't mind seeing her in that once more. _Not. At. All._

"I'll have to make sure Haruka-senpai doesn't wear his swimsuit," Gou was muttering to herself. "Or that Rei doesn't pick some horrible outfit that should never have been created. He's the worse when it comes to fashion."

"Rei? Really? I would have pegged Nagisa for being more of a fashion disaster."

"Surprisingly he isn't that bad. Rei though… Some of the things he finds are so ghastly I'm pretty sure they've based horror stories off them." She paused a moment. "This will be our last hosted event," she said slowly, "by the way."

_Their last hosted event._ Seijuro didn't miss the implication of that. Their last hosted event. And the competition was just around the corner. Time truly was running out. "I see." He coughed. His throat suddenly felt a little tight. "Well, I guess we'll really have to make this one count then!"

"Yeah." Gou's smile was almost as faint as her words. "We should." She shook herself as if dispelling some stray thought. "Anyway I'm sure the play will be lovely! Supposedly it's really popular and famous around here! The boys could really do with a bit of culture! I wonder if Ama-chan knows any quotes from it…"

She rambled on and Seijuro narrowed his eyes. _Make this one count, huh?_ That…could work.

Tonight was not the night to talk about any possible future plans. The mood wasn't right for it. But the night of the play? _That_ would certainly create the right mood. They would both be dressed up in fancy clothes and going to see a wonderful show. It would be just like a date even if other people were there. And even if other people were there Gou would be going home with him afterwards and that was the important part.

Coming home with him. He really liked the sound of that. And he wanted to keep it that way. If he could.

Yes, he decided, that would be the perfect night to talk to Gou. The perfect, perfect night. He tried to hide his grin at his brilliant idea.

Who said he wasn't a romantic guy!

* * *

Lights. Lights everywhere. Overhead and along every street, shining brightly on everything and everyone. And boy were there a lot of everyones. There were so many people. Walking across the street, down the street, in groups and packs and pairs chatting away together. All of them dressed nicely with well done hair and sparkly dresses and lively suits.

_This must be what it's like to be rich._ Gou's eyes were wide as she peered out the window. She had never been to this side of downtown before and seeing it now she understood why. She would never have been able to afford this stuff! Even seeing the boutiques they passed made her flinch imagining what the price tag might be. _They sure are lovely looking though._ Maybe if they won that five thousand dollars the boys would be okay with letting her go on a little shopping spree. It would clearly be a good morale booster for the club. Clearly.

Next to her Nagisa and Rei were 'ooo' and 'aah'ing over the sights as well and Gou tried her best to scoot over some more. The three of them had been crammed into the cab together and while Gou enjoyed her close relationship with the two, this was a little _too_ close. Rei's thigh was nearly pressed against her own and Nagisa's occasional bouncing only made it that much worse.

She wrinkled her nose. If she had had her way she would have rode with Makoto and Haru, but Haru had pointed out Makoto was too big to sit three to a seat, and that it made more sense for Gou and Nagisa, being the smallest, to sit three to a seat. Not that Gou believed that had been Haru's true reason for their seating arrangements. Most likely he had just wanted to have Makoto to himself in the cab without Gou being a third wheel.

Gou scowled as Nagisa bounced again, pointing with a loud exclamation at the people on the streets. She'd rather have been in a cab with just one other person too. Too bad Hana and Amakata hadn't been able to come. The play was restricted to only the swim club participants so Amakata hadn't been able to tag alone and Hana had her own hosting event to go to, the nocturnal zoo no less. Hopefully she wouldn't get kicked off the tram like Gou had.

_If Seijuro and I could have just taken a cab from home…_ But they couldn't. Regardless of her brother they both had their respective swim teams to manage. Some other time perhaps.

The cab finally pulled over and Gou opened the door before it had come to a complete stop. The wash of cool air that greeted her when she stepped out felt like an angel's breath after being crammed into there like a sardine in a can for over half an hour. She craned her neck up at the many lights and the decadent sweeping architecture of the playhouse. The stone building was quite old looking, with big stone archways and gold encrusted accents. Lights dotted it all over, bathing her in a golden glow and she took a deep breath. Even the air smelled richer here!

"Gou-chan," a voice whined behind her, "you're in the way!"

"Oh, sorry!"

Further down the road Makoto and Haru had also arrived in their cab. Of Samezuka there was no sign. _They must be running late._ Not that that was anything new.

"What an incredible looking building!" Nagisa laced his arm through Rei's as they made their way over to meet up with the other two boys. "Don't you think so, Rei-chan?"

"Yes," Rei squeaked,. His cheeks turned pick. He coughed. "It is very beautiful. It actually reminds me quite a bit of that history museum we went to upon first arriving here."

Gou grimaced. Thankfully there weren't any paintings, murals, or sculptures depicting bloody battles or executions or the like. Yet anyway. They had yet to go inside…

"Looks like we're all here." Makoto's smile slipped a little as he pulled out his phone to look at the time. "Hopefully Samezuka shows up pretty soon."

They were running pretty late and for such a time sensitive event too. Iwatobi had been struggling to get out the door on time as well. Who knew Haru, who could shed his clothes in two seconds flat, had such trouble when it came to tying a tie and putting on a suit. Nagisa had been a lost cause as well and if not for Makoto and Rei being there to help them the two might have ended up going naked. _Not that I think Makoto or Rei would have complained about that._

"I-I'm sure Samezuka will be here in a few minutes." Gou tried to smile. "They almost always run a bit late."

"Gou-chan would know something like that about her husband-chan- _oof_."

Gou removed her elbow from Nagisa's sternum.

The host was waiting to greet them inside the lobby when they walked in. "Oh you made it!" She clapped her hands. "We have a section reserved for you upstairs! Once everyone gets here we'll take our seats! Please wait here in the lobby in the meantime."

The lobby was fairly decent size, covered with red carpet and red walls accented by gold, and a large chandelier overhead. There were an ample amount of mirrors throughout the room and Gou paused more than once to check on her appearance, fidgeting over her hair and dress.

"You seem to be awfully fidgety tonight, Gou-san," Rei remarked and Gou quickly pulled her hand away from her mouth where she had been chewing on a nail. _Damnit._ She hadn't meant for them to see that.

Haru said, "It's because she's waiting on Captain Mikoshiba."

Gou's face flamed. She was used to Nagisa saying things like that but _Haru_? "I-it has nothing to do with that! I-I'm just excited about the play!"

"Excited about something," muttered Nagisa and Haru turned his head away, hiding a laugh, and Gou was so surprised she forgot all about chastising Nagisa. She had never seen Haru smile, much less laugh, before. He was definitely in a good mood but the biggest difference of all was that he was _expressing_ it.

What was going on? Ever since that night at the fair he seemed to be changing. Or maybe he was just becoming the person he should be.

_If only brother would follow the same example._

There were several different entrances leading into the theater from the lobby. People were flowing through them at a relatively steady pace and through the doors Gou could see the rows upon rows of red velvet seats steadily becoming filled and far off the stage sat covered with a large red curtain.

"Look, Gou-chan!" Nagisa pointed at a group filing into their seats. "It's those Germans from the training camp!"

That it was. Dressed up like they were Gou had almost not recognized her adopted swim team. And if they were here then there must be a few swim teams scheduled to see the play tonight.

She glanced at the bronzed clock on the wall. Samezuka had better hurry if they wanted to be one of them too. The seats were becoming awfully full and they still hadn't shown up yet.

If they didn't make it in time…Gou felt herself deflate like a balloon. Imagining seeing the play without Samezuka and especially without Seijuro there just seemed to suck all the excitement out of the evening. It was their last hosted event. They were supposed to make this one count, like he had said when she had first told him about it a few days before. If he missed it…

Almost as if on cue a waft of air blew against Gou's back, signaling the entrance doors opening and being held open, and she looked up. The group members of Samezuka were waltzing into the lobby, a sea of black and white clothes, ties and jackets and buttoned down shirts and shiny shoes, and Gou would never ever suspected so many of them had brought such formal clothes with them. Or had Seijuro simply rented tuxes for the entire team?

That seemed like something he would do. Gou bet he actually hadn't even brought any fancy clothes for him and was just too embarrassed to tell her.

Then she saw him and her eyes widened.

Muscles were definitely Gou's thing. That wasn't a secret. She loved seeing muscles and she certainly enjoyed seeing Seijuro's. That wasn't a secret either, at least it wasn't to her. Seeing him in sleeveless shirts was great. Seeing him in swimsuits was wonderful too. But seeing him in a suit and tie, with hair slicked back and eyes brighter than amber, was something else entirely.

_I would_ eat _off him._

"Gou-chan," Nagisa whispered. He nudged her. "Gou-chan, you're drooling."

"O-oh!" She turned away to wipe her face. "And it's Kou!"

Seijuro caught sight of them. His face lit up and Gou's heart rushed in like a impossible current. "Ohhh, you guys look nice!" He greeted them much too loudly. "Gou-kun looks especially cute!"

Her face flushed. Saying stuff like that in front of her brother…But then again it wasn't like Seijuro hadn't greeted her like that before their accidental marriage. If anything this was a return to normalcy. "T-thank you."

"You look great too, Captain Mikoshiba!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Your suit's amazing!"

"Oh, do you think so?!"

"Yes, you look quite presentable," Rei agreed. "Is that a British or Italian style?"

The three of them became more than adequately distracted talking about how great they looked in their suits and while they did so Gou scanned the crowd of Samezuka members for her brother. She found him near the back, standing nearly against the wall, not paying the least bit of attention to Seijuro or her or even Haru. In fact Rin didn't seem to be paying much attention to anything at all. His gaze was on the floor, his hands buried in his pockets, shoulders slumped. Even his hair looked listless.

Gou's lips parted. She couldn't recall a time she had seen Rin like that. Not even when they had been kids and he had dropped his favorite toy in the ocean or when they had walked along that dock hand in hand, having lost something else much more precious to the ocean. Rin just looked…defeated. Like _he_ had been the one who had lost that race instead of Haru.

The host called out and Gou jerked her attention back to their current event. "Now that everyone is here we'll move along to our seats now!" The host gestured at one of the entrances leading upstairs. "Please follow closely!"

"I'll see you guys upstairs!" Seijuro winked Gou's way, moving to head to the front of his swim team. Iwatobi slid into the crowd of Samezuka members. Nagisa had his arm laced through Rei's once again and further ahead Gou saw Haru had done the same with Makoto, whose face was so bright red it looked like he had been standing staring at the sun for far too long. She wasn't the only one who noticed it either, for one of the Samezuka members, Noro she thought, furrowed his brows at the sight. His eyes crinkled, as if in deep thought, then he turned and flung himself at Nakagawa. "Nakagawa, let's hold hands!"

"Have you lost your mind?! Absolutely not!" Nakagawa struggled to disentangle himself from the other boy. "And it's arms, you imbecile!"

_Weirdos._ Still Gou was a little jealous. She was the only girl here and instead of her being escorted by some handsome guy in a suit the boys were only escorting each other! Who was she supposed to link arms with? Her gaze shifted to Seijuro. But they couldn't do that. He had to lead his swim team and present a good example to follow. Her brother was here besides.

Her eyes widened. Her brother! Of course! He may not hold her hand anymore but maybe he'd offer her his arm!

She made her way through the crowd to sidle up next to him. His eyes were still on the ground in front of him as he walked and his hands still in his pockets but she wouldn't let that deter her.

"Hey!"

His head jerked up, as if she had caught him in the midst of a trance. When he saw it was her, his eyelids lowered to half mast. "Hello."

Boy, that hadn't been a happy greeting at all. He was definitely in a funk. "I'm glad you came tonight!" She forced merriment. "It's supposed to be a really good play!"

"I had to come," he stated tersely.

"Oh…" _Well, then._ This was not going the way she had wanted it to."I-I'm sure it will be fun though!"

Rin didn't respond to this. Not even a comeback disputing what she had said. She frowned a little. This was definitely not like him. He was typically a bit oppressive but this vanquished attitude was something different.

"Is everything alright?"

Rin grit his teeth. In his pocket Gou thought she saw his hand curl into a fist. "I'm fine." His voice was like a snarl. "Mind your own business."

She drew back. She was used to him snubbing her but outright snapping at her was not something he had done before. "O-okay." She moved away. Whatever it was bothering him it was clear he was in no mood to speak about it. Maybe later when he was less wound up she would ask again. Hopefully the play would help ease him into a better frame of mind. Or at least take his mind off things.

They reached the place they would be sitting and Gou nearly gasped at the sight. Their seating area was a large balcony that faced the stage directly, giving them an ample and fantastic view, and directly below the many plush red velvet seats of the ground floor. The balcony was more secluded than the ground floor, with no other groups seating behind or in front of them, and their seating separated from others by an aisle.

"Please seat yourselves in an orderly fashion!" the host called out a bit frantically. "The play is expected to start within three minutes! Please kindly hurry and take your seats!"

_They aren't forcing us into our usual seating arrangement?_ Gou would have assumed now would be a perfect time to enforce that but maybe the host had decided to forego it because they were so late. She moved with the Iwatobi boys down to one of the front rows as Samezuka clambered to get into seats. Except there was one problem.

"There's only four seats to a row," Haru observed. The four boys stood in the row, turning and looking around themselves as if trying to find a secret fifth chair.

Gou pursed her lips. The one downside to the seating area they had been provided was the seating rows were on the short side. So all of Iwatobi would not be able to sit together. In that case…She looked back over her shoulder.

"I-I can sit somewhere else," Makoto offered. "Gou, you can have my seat."

"Oh, no, no, it's fine." Gou turned back. "I'll find my own seat."

Makoto frowned a little. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, of course, don't worry!" She had seen what she needed to when she had looked back a second ago. "I'll see you guys after the play!" She turned to head back up the aisle. She had a pretty fair idea where she could sit and anyway she didn't want to disappoint Haru by making him sit apart from Makoto. Not when their relationship was so new. Sitting this way would make everyone happy. Herself included.

Seijuro had taken his seat on the very last row of their seating section. Along the row with him were Noro and Nakagawa, but the seat closest to the aisle was empty. The Samezuka captain had likely sat there because he wanted to keep an eye on his team, but more importantly for Gou his sitting so far in the back meant Rin sat several rows in front of him. He wouldn't be able to see them unless he completely turned around in his seat. It was a perfect opportunity.

Seijuro was in the midst of chatting quietly with Nakagawa when she sat down and his sentence came to an abrupt end when he saw her. He blinked at her and Gou pretended not to notice the curious stare of Noro or Nakagawa's expression like he had already foreseen this happening.

"Is…something wrong?"

"No." Gou tried to ignore the hot heat in her face and the way her body felt too warm. "It was four to a row," she said as way of explanation. "So I decided I'd sit here!"

The smile he gave her was like she had just offered him the world. It was the same smile he had worn that night at the bar, that unbidden and unfettered smile that encompassed his whole face. Gou glanced away, her face growing so hot she resisted the urge to fan herself. But she was happy. Happy to see that smile once again. She hadn't known how much she liked seeing it.

"The play is starting," said Nakagawa and Gou straightened, dragging her attention to the stage as the lights dimmed and the curtain began to draw to the sides.

The play was in English, something that hadn't occurred to Gou until the actors began to enter the stage. With the Germans and other swim teams being here at the same time there was no way the play was going to be in Japanese. That wouldn't be economically wise or practical to show the play in every language, but luckily the actors were so extremely expressive with their actions and tones she could more or less guess what was going on in every scene. On occasions when it wasn't entirely clear a sign in several languages would be held up in the background detailing what had happened. And despite not knowing much English the actors spoke slowly and enunciated enough that she was able to pick up on a few key words here and there. Words she had learned from listening to her brother speak.

Speaking of which, he would be able to understand everything. She glanced down to where he sat several seats ahead of her. It didn't look like he was paying much attention to the play. His elbow was on the armrest with his chin in his palm, like he might take a nap or something. He was definitely down in the dumps. Even Nitori seemed a bit concerned, the smaller boy stealing several glances at him out of the corner of his eye next to him.

Maybe once the play got going Rin would enjoy it better.

The play was a series of skits based on several Greek legends. The first was the legend of Damon and Pythias, two boys who were such good friends that, when Pythias was placed in prison for angering a tyrant king, Damon offered to take his place in order to allow the other to go home and resolve his family affairs before his execution. However if Pythias did not return, Damon would be executed in his stead. Gou watched as on the stage the frantic and determined Pythias braved thieves and raging streams and crippling thirst to make it back to his friend in time, whilst in his cell Damon insisted Pythias would not abandon him despite the tyrant king's attempts to convince him that Pythias would be careful not to return in order to save himself.

"What an amazing bromance," Noro sniffled into his palms.

Nakagawa shushed him, though he too was swiping at his eyes.

The friendship of Damon and Pythias was certainly impressive, and Gou found herself clutching her hands a little too tightly as time started to run out for the poor hapless Damon, who continued to believe that his best friend would not desert him.

A sudden movement drew her attention to the seats in front of her. Rin had lowered his arm and she could see the tightness in his shoulders and back. His hands were clutched on the arms of his seat and he shifted once, twice, thrice. There was some sort of caged frantic energy to him, like someone trying to breath in the midst of drowning.

A noise on the stage made her look up. Pythias had run out of time. Damon was to be executed in his place. As Damon stood at the execution block he raised his head. With shoulders high he announced that while he still believed in his friend he sincerely hoped Pythias would arrive too late so Damon may die in his stead.

In his seat Rin gave an audible twitch. His arms were clenched close to his sides.

Damon had sunk to his knees, prepared to die when suddenly from out of one side of the stage Pythias dashed out. Pale, bloodstained, and disheveled, he flung his arms around his friend's neck with a sob of relief, and for the first time Damon turned pale and shed tears. Not for himself but for the state his friend had come in trying to reach him so desperately. Pythias began to undo his friend's bond, apologizing for his delay and begging forgiveness. When Damon responded to this Gou was unable to understand.

Rin shot up from his seat. Before Gou could do anything but blink in confusion he had already headed up the aisle and she just managed to turn in her seat to see him depart through the exit.

Something was definitely wrong. It could never be said that Rin wasn't an emotional person but for him to run out so abruptly meant something had really gotten to him. The play perhaps? She turned back around. A translation card had been held up for Damon's words. Because you are my friend, it read, I would have forgiven you of anything.

Gou turned briefly to Seijuro. "I'll be right back." She rose without waiting for a response or for him to ask where she was going. Nitori was turned around in his seat, halfway out of it, but Gou gestured for him to stay. She wanted a chance to talk to Rin alone first.

She couldn't _not_ go after him. Despite his less than cordial mood he was still her brother, her family. And she didn't want to lose any more of it.

With some guess work she took the path she believed he had taken and managed to find him in the midst of the now empty lobby, shoulders hunched and hands fisted by his side as he made his way to the door.

She called out to him before he could reach it. "Brother!"

He froze at the sounding of his name and Gou ran to him. "Is everything alright? Why did you leave?"

Rin remained still then slowly he turned to face her. With an ugly scowl and an even uglier look in his eye. " _You_ …"

* * *

Seijuro shifted in his seat. He put his arm up on the armrest, put it back down, crossed his legs then uncrossed them. He tapped his fingers. Nakagawa shushed him and he shot a glare at the other boy.

Gou was taking too darn long. It shouldn't take this long to use the bathroom. She was missing all of the play! They had both agreed to make it count and she wasn't even here. She was ruining Seijuro's entire plan!

He pulled his phone out to check the time, hiding its glow underneath his hand so as not to disturb the others watching nearby. The play of Damon and Pythias had wrapped up with the two boys having both been pardoned by the tyrant king after he had been moved by their deep and poignant friendship, and the new skit was called _The Frogs._ The oddly tilted play was about two writers battling each other to see who was the best tragic poet or something like that. Seijuro hadn't been paying much attention.

Seijuro moved his leg up and down. The seat next to him was still vacant and there was no message from Gou letting him know something had come up. He considered sending her a text himself but he didn't want to send her some overly concerned message when she might just be taking a while in the bathroom or something. He wasn't even sure if she had her phone on her. She hadn't been carrying a bag and there were no pockets on that dress of hers. Seijuro knew this because he had looked. Quite attentively.

He snapped his phone closed. There was no helping it. He was going to have to go look for her. If he didn't he'd just sit there wondering what she was doing and not be able to focus on the play at all until she returned.

Nakagawa looked questioningly over when he rose. "Bathroom." Well, it was technically true, as he headed for the lobby where the bathroom was located to check there first. It would be the most likely place for Gou to go. Maybe she had gotten caught up powdering her nose or whatever it was girls did in bathrooms. His sister always spent way too much time in the bathroom whenever he was at home too. To this day he still teased her about it.

He was just coming up to the corner to the lobby when a loud voice drew him up short.

"Stop sticking your nose in everyone else's business!"

_Matsuoka?_ Seijuro had heard the other boy curse enough the last few days to recognize what his voice sounded like when he was angry. But who in the world was he yelling at?

"B-brother?"

Seijuro's eyes widened. Gou. So is this what had been going on? He should have realized it had been Matsuoka who had gotten up right before Gou, but he had been too distracted by the play and had assumed it was simply a swim member needing to use the restroom.

"You're always meddling with other people!"came Matsuoka's red hot voice from around the corner. "Nobody asked you to be so damn concerned! You worry so much about everyone else like your everyone's damn mother or something!"

Matsuoka was angrier than ever but there was a tremor to his voice too. Like he was on the verge of tears.

Seijuro tightened his hand. He wanted to go around that corner, but presenting himself now would only make things worse. His intrusion would make Matsuoka angrier and could very easily cause suspicion if Matsuoka didn't buy his excuse that he was there to use the restroom. If Matsuoka figured out what was going on that could easily cause a bigger gap to exist between the siblings. If not completely destroy any trust that might exist.

He grit his teeth. Getting involved in delicate spider web style family affairs that had nothing to do with him would only cause breakage and Gou didn't need something like that right now. Not when there was already such a large disconnect between the two of them. So he stayed where he was.

"What is it you're trying to do exactly?" Matsuoka continued. "Do you plan on making us reconcile or something? Is that why Samezuka and Iwatobi got paired together?" A brief pause. "It was _you_ who did that for the hosted events, isn't it? Is that why I'm stuck seeing them almost everyday? Why they are _always_ there? What other reason could there be for our teams to be paired together like they were? Why else would it be that Samezuka _constantly_ gets paired with Iwatobi, huh?"

Seijuro waited, ears straining to catch Gou's response. Gou could tell him the truth now. She could tell Matsuoka all about the marriage. That their accidental marriage was the real reason their teams had gotten paired like they had. She could spill everything, explain that it hadn't been her fault that the host country had forced Iwatobi and Samezuka together, at least not intentionally. She could tell Rin everything, make him understand and be less angry at her. And, Siejuro suddenly realized, he wanted her to.

But no response from Gou came. She said absolutely nothing.

And he knew. It was because of him. Because she didn't want to tell her brother and have Matsuoka turn that anger onto him. She'd rather take her brother's wrath then have that happen.

Seijuro closed his eyes.

"We don't need to reconcile!" Rin was yelling now. "I don't need forgiveness! I never wanted it and I don't _need_ it!"" The sound of someone's shoes on the carpet, like they were turning away. "I don't need them!" The sound of the lobby door opening. "I don't need anyone so just mind your own damn business!"

A slam. The door most likely. No further noise came. Matsuoka, it appeared, had departed.

Seijuro went around the corner. Gou's back was to him. She stood there absolutely still and staring at the door her brother had disappeared through. She didn't move nor react when he came to stand beside her. He glanced at the darkened door then back to her.

Matsuoka, he thought, truly had a knack for destroying the things he loved.

He placed a hand gently on the back of her head. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's go home."


	28. Wound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was intended to be quite a bit longer but I've been super, super busy and I ran out of time before I depart to go overseas, and rather than wait another month I decided I would post what I did have written up. Hopefully upon my return my life won't be quite so chaotic and I can make a longer chapter!

The third law of aerodynamics states that systems left to themselves invariably head towards disorder.

Seijuro had never heard of this.

But even if he had he wouldn't have equated it with Matsuoka.

* * *

"Do you want anything?"

On the couch next to him he could faintly see Gou shake her head. It was dark inside the house, the only light coming from a single lamp in the corner. It had felt wrong to turn on more lights, the brightness somehow too harsh for such a moment. Gou wouldn't have appreciated that Seijuro felt.

He ran his finger along the collar of his shirt, tugging to loosen it. He had already undone several of the buttons and shed himself of the jacket and tie, but despite the lack of comfort the outfit provided he wasn't about to go into the other room to completely change just yet. Not when Gou was the way she was right now.

He glanced at her. She hadn't cried. Not a single tear, but her eyes were downcast and the corners of her mouth downturned. She sat listlessly, still in her pretty dress, her hands curled around each other in her lap and her gaze on the coffee table.

"What happened?" Maybe it was intrusive asking but Matsuoka had gone too far. Seijuro wasn't the type to just let things lie like that.

Gou frowned a little. "I'm not even sure myself."

"Matsuoka…"

He didn't finish, not sure how to, but Gou picked up on what he was trying to ask regardless. "After brother left the play I went after him to see what was wrong. He got mad about that," she said. Her shoulders sagged. "No matter what I do all I do is make him mad lately."

He thought of the dark dangerous edge Matsuoka had been skating along the past few days. The boy had been on a downward spiral ever since the end of the first competition. Ever since he had won that race. Seijuro had witnessed that firsthand watching him struggle in his swimming. Funny, he would have thought something like that would come from somebody losing, not winning.

"I don't think he's mad because of you."

If anything it was Matsuoka who was making Matsuoka angry. Gou had just happened to be the unlucky one who had been on the receiving end of his anger. Some people found it easier to lash out at the people they loved and the people who loved them than the person they actually had a problem with, and in that regards Gou was a prime candidate for Matsuoka to vent out his frustrations.

"I just wish he would go back to the person he used to be."

He looked questionably up at the soft words.

"I mean back before he left for Australia." She narrowed her eyes. "Actually even before then. Back before our father died."

 _Back before their father had died._ So Seijuro had guessed right. Their father had passed away. "You've never mentioned your father before," he observed quietly.

"Yes, well…" She moved her hands around each other. "It was a long time ago. When he died I mean. He was a fisherman on the ocean and late one summer a typoon hit. A lot of fisherman died during it and our father was one of them." She pushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, gaze wandering to the wall opposite her. "I hardly remember anything about him at all anymore. I was young when it happened and I've forgotten the rest. All I remember is his hands." She lifted up a hand as if to demonstrate. She dropped it back down into her lap. "I can't even picture his face anymore. Whenever I try all I see is…is brother's."

Seijuro raised her eyebrows. Gou saw his expression. She laughed, an aching hollow sound, and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess that's really weird to say, huh? I've…never said that out loud before…but I guess it really is true. Brother _is_ the only one I can see anymore." She frowned. "I remember walking behind that procession of survivors like we were survivors ourselves. We were alone, just us two, but I wasn't scared. You'd think after what happened we wouldbe the ones scared of the ocean, but I'm not. Because brother, he held my hand." Her hand flexed in her lap. "He held my hand and I wasn't scared. Because I felt that no matter what happened I would have him there beside me to hold my hand." She paused. "But somewhere along the way he let go of me. He let go of my hand. I don't know when or how but he did. And now…" Her hand tightened. Her voice cracked. "Now I don't know how to get it back anymore."

She covered her face as she began to shake with the force of her sobs and Seijuro reached out an arm. She didn't remove her hands from her face but she still curled into him, her forehead coming to lay against his chest as he pulled her against him.

"I just want him to hold my hand," she quaked. "I just want him to hold my hand like he used to."

He tightened his jaw. Matsuoka, he decided, really was an idiot. A big oblivious idiot who was so wrapped up in his own inner angst he didn't realize how it affected the people he cared about. If Seijuro could he'd like to knock some sense into him. But in the end that wouldn't solve anything, and Gou wouldn't like that besides. No matter what Matsuoka was still her dear older brother.

"It'll be fine," he said, the words feeling inept and useless even as they left his mouth. "I'm sure Matsuoka didn't mean any of what he said."

Gou nodded mutely against him but did not respond. He thought about saying something else, comforting words like 'it'll be okay' and 'don't worry about it' but somehow those words just felt pathetic and meaningless. They wouldn't do any good. Not here in this situation. What could one say to that? Nothing really.

So he kept silent, threading his fingers through her hair, and let her cry against him.

* * *

It was dark inside the house. The only light came from a single lamp in the corner and through its dim light Seijuro glanced at the clock. The red numbers glared back at him like angry eyes. It was getting late. Quite late.

The play would be over by now and the swim teams heading back to their lodging. Hopefully Iwatobi wouldn't become worried about their absent manager who hadn't left them with an explanation about her departure. If they came over to check on her it would be rather disastrous. But neither his phone nor her phone had made a noise all night. If anything the group likely just assumed Gou and him had run off together, and they had, but not in the way he imagined Iwatobi would be thinking of. At least they hadn't been expecting her to come back with them to the lodges. Because Gou had been coming home with him tonight.

He shifted in his seat, careful not to disturb the slumbering girl whose head was in his lap. On top of an already mentally and physically draining day Gou's crying had exhausted her. She had fallen asleep some time ago.

Seijuro brushed back her bangs away from her face. Matsuoka really was an idiot. The boy focused too much on stupid things rather than the precious things he did have. Seijuro didn't fully understand Rin's reasons, though he was sure he had them, and it wasn't his business to extort it out of him. But he was still the swim team captain and he had to preserve what was most important to his team, as Nakagawa had so pointedly reminded him when he had gone to tell the other boy he was leaving.

" _There's something I need to take care of." Seijuro kept his gaze elsewhere than on Nakagawa. He didn't want to show too much nor divulge too much either. "You can manage the swim team back, right?"_

_Nakagawa didn't answer him right away and Seijuro shifted, painfully aware of Gou waiting for him in the hall._

" _Is it the girl or Matsuoka?"_

_Seijuro pressed his lips together. Damn Nakagawa. "Both." He straightened. "Do you have things here?"_

_At Nakagawa's nod Seijuro turned to leave. He was brought up short however._

" _Captain."_

_Seijuro paused._

_Nakagawa's dark gaze was piercing. "Don't forget what's most important."_

Seijuro grit his teeth. He knew that already. He governed all his swimming by that, governed his whole life by it in fact. He didn't need Nakagawa to tell him stuff like that. He _knew_ winning was what was most important.

But that didn't mean that the girl presently lying in his arms wasn't important either.

He rubbed a hand tiredly against his forehead. He still had to deal with Matsuoka. As captain of the swim team it was his responsibility. He had to make a decision about Matsuoka and the relay race.

He blinked an eye. Really it was such a pain being stuck between the two. Wanting to make Gou happy by making her brother happy, which ultimately meant keeping Rin in the relay and allowing him to compete despite his lackluster performance and disintegrating emotional state. Or be a swim team captain and do what was best for his own swim team regardless of how it would make some people unhappy.

Letting Matsuoka onto the relay team hadn't been based on Gou at all. That was the truth. But keeping Matsuoka on the relay after everything that had happened would _be_ because of her. To make her happy. And that was the truth too.

And that made him feel a bit like he was struggling against a current he couldn't win against.

He frowned into the dim light. For all his bravado and loud self-confidence, when it came to Gou he always started to fall apart at the seams. It was incredibly frustrating and exhilarating at the same time, like racing against a really strong opponent he may not be able to beat. Gou was the only girl who had been able to do that to him, and she was the only one he _wanted_ to do that to him. Actually now that he thought about it when it came to other girls Seijuro didn't even think about them. He didn't even really notice them.

_She's the only one I want._

And that revelation was sort of terrifying.

If he did fall apart at the seams would she put him back together, he wondered. Or had she taken a string of him and wrapped it around that pearl ring of her's when he wasn't looking, pulling him apart slowly but surely? That ring she had worn like a wedding ring.

Seijuro narrowed his eyes. He really hated metaphors.

He didn't know what to do about Matsuoka. Not yet anyway. He'd decide that later. But for now…

Gou's open hand lay by his knee and he remembered what she had said earlier. _If your brother isn't there to take your hand, h_ e laced his fingers through her's, _then I'll grasp it instead._

Her hand curled, tightening around his own and he fought off a smile. Even in her sleep she grasped back. _So desperate for something to cling to huh?_ She could cling onto him as much as she wanted.

He glanced at the clock once more. He desperately needed to get some sleep. The competition was right around the corner and he couldn't be slacking off in practice.

He slipped his hands underneath Gou's arms. Slowly he leaned back, pulling her with him and moving his legs up onto the couch at the same time. She made a soft noise at the disturbance, but she didn't wake and Seijuro settled back, the girl stretched out a top him. When she moved he froze slightly but it was only to press closer to him, curling into him, and she let out a soft exhale that sounded strangely contented.

He may regret this in the morning. There was hardly enough room on the couch for him to fit comfortably, much less two people. He'd likely have a crick in the neck or an achy knee come tomorrow morning but, well, he could deal with a little bit of pain. If it meant getting to be with her like this then he could.

He wrapped his arms loosely across her and fell asleep to the feeling of her soft breath against his throat.

* * *

There was a dim light. A dim light that fluttered yellow just outside her eyelids, a glinting annoyance that prevented her from slipping back into full slumber. For a moment she just lay there, not awake enough to properly deal with it, grappling in her sleep fogged head if she should get fully up to stop the annoyance or try to ignore it and go back to sleep even though she couldn't recall leaving a light on. In fact now that she noticed that the bed around her felt weird too. Hard but soft at the same time, and warm. Impossibly warm. And a smell of sun and wind.

Her eyes flew open. She stayed utterly still, almost paralyzed as warm breath that was not her own blew across her and beneath her the rise and fall of someone's chest. Slowly, heartbeat in her throat, her gaze traveled upwards. Seijuro. He was fast asleep. His arms were loosely around her, more resting on her than clutching her, and she was lying on top of him. Stretched out over him with her legs between his own and her head on his shoulder.

For a moment she dare not breathe. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears, so fast it might flutter out of her chest.

What had happened? She didn't remember having fallen asleep, and she was still in her dress and he was still in his tux. She remembered crying. Or sobbing more accurately. And telling Seijuro about her father. And Seijuro-

The thought stilled her. She remembered him. He had comforted her. He had held her while she had cried. She did remember that. He had comforted her and been there for her without asked prying questions.

Her gaze flicked to the wall. She had never mentioned not being able to remember her father's face and only seeing her brother's to anyone. Not Makoto, not even Hana. She had always been worried they might think she was heartless, for forgetting someone as precious as her father, or weird, for seeing her brother instead. But with Seijuro that fear had suddenly evaporated. She hadn't been scared telling him those things, had _wanted_ to tell him in fact. Because she knew he wouldn't judge her for thinking or feeling that way. He wouldn't look down on her for it. And she knew that.

He had silently allowed her to lay out all her burdens, to dump out all her personal feelings and concerns onto him, and he had accepted it all with that silent strength of his she suddenly realized how much she appreciated in him. And had come to rely upon.

He always went after her. She would get swept out to sea, and he would swim out after her to bring her back to shore. He had already done it physically, and now he had done it emotionally.

Gou's smile was joyous but painful at the same time. She covered her mouth less she let out some hiccup of a noise. If Seijuro woke up she didn't want him thinking she was crying about her brother again.

Her heartbeat was much more under control and with a few steadying breaths she relaxed. She glanced back up. That stupid light was still on. Carefully she inched upwards and stretched for the light to turn it off. Seijuro moved, making a soft noise, and Gou's face reddened as his face nearly brushed against her breast, breath warm against her sensitive skin. Well…at least he was asleep. She wasn't sure how he would react if he awoke to her chest practically hovering over him.

She finally managed to snag the cord and yanked it down, bathing them both in darkness. She slid back into her prior position, careful not to disturb Seijuro too much. He stirred but did not wake, and even in his slumber his arms tightened around her.

Her smile was so wide it hurt a bit.

She wiggled to get more comfortable, settling closer into him. She closed her eyes, smile turning rueful as she slipped back into slumber. How many more times was she was going to wake up sharing the same sleeping place as Seijuro, she wondered, and not remember how she had gotten there.

* * *

The mirrors were foggy to the point Seijuro couldn't recognize his own reflection by the time he stepped out of the shower. He normally didn't stay in the shower for long – if he was going to spend time in water he'd rather spend it in the pool – but God had he needed it.

Running a hand through his hair, he swiped the glass, only to cause a smudge in his wake. Not that his reflection was likely any better. Despite the shower having helped wake him up he was still tired. He had woken up early and that on top of going to sleep so late had left him more than a little sleep deprived. It seemed like he was often sleep deprived this entire summer. Not very good for his performance but he had wanted to lipped away from the couch before Gou awoke. As much as he had wanted to stay, in that position with her in his arms and she so closely curled into him, he hadn't wanted her to wake up and have the situation to become possibly awkward. He felt like they were progressing towards something more than friendship and he didn't want anything to ruin that.

He wrapped a towel around his waist, not bothering to get fully dressed, and pushed open the door. Gou was awake. Sitting on her knees on the couch, mindlessly chewing on a fingernail, a little smile curving her lips, and instead of going into the bedroom to get properly clothed, Seijuro went immediately over to her.

"Morning!"

The sound of his voice made her jump, as if she had been caught doing something naughty. "M-morning!" For some reason her cheeks were a little pink and upon catching sight of him they only reddened further. "I-I see you've already showered."

Seijuro glanced downwards. _Oops._ He had forgotten he hadn't gotten dressed yet. Then again for someone who ran around in a speedo most of the day a towel was considered some pretty decent coverage.

"I don't suppose there's any hot water left is there?"

"Nope! Sorry. I uhhh…took a long one this morning." For a variety of reasons but he didn't want to say that.

"I suppose I can wait a bit then." She flexed her shoulders, as if the dress she still wore were giving her an itch. "Even if I feel absolutely disgusting."

Seijuro knew the feeling. Waking up in the same clothes he had worn to the play had made him feel more than a little grungy. His shirt was so wrinkled it would be a wonder if it would ever be flat again and he might as well have run a mile in the pants for all the good they looked. His mother was going to kill him if she ever found out how poorly he was treating his nice clothes.

"By the way," said Gou. "Sorry for ruining the play last night."

She _would_ blame herself for that. He batted away the apology, one hand clenching the towel so it wouldn't fall. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. It wasn't your fault."

"You still got dragged into though. The whole thing with brother and I…"

She trailed off, frowning unhappily. While she was in better spirits than she had been last night, what had transpired was still weighing on her it seemed. Not that he could blame her. Getting yelled at by a person they cared about was never easy for anyone.

"The whole night ended up getting ruined," she griped. "And we were supposed to make it count too…"

 _Oh._ Seijuro had nearly forgotten about that after everything else that had were supposed to have made last night count since it had been their last hosted event before they left this country. They hadn't been able to do that and now the last competition was just around the corner. But maybe…The idea struck him so hard it was like a tree branch had dropped on him. "Gou, let's go swimming!"

She blinked. "Swimming?"

"Yeah!" Seijuro was getting excited now. "We talked about it the night of the fair, remember? We can make that one count instead!"

Her brow creased. "Oh yeah," she said slowly, "I do remember that." She scratched her cheek. "But where would we swim?"

Seijiro almost faltered at the sudden realization but quickly recovered, more ideas slamming onto him like tree branches. "We can use the Samezuka pool!"

"The Samezuka pool?" Gou's brow creased further. "But isn't it closed at night?"

"I have the key!" It wasn't exactly very responsible and captain like of him to be breaking into his own swim team's pool but well…as long as he didn't get caught it was okay, right?

She rubbed the back of her head. "Wouldn't we get in trouble for doing something like that? What if somebody caught us?" Her eyes widened. "Would if _brother_ caught us?"

Seijuro chuckle was dry. "I highly doubt Matsuoka will be breaking into the pool in the middle of the night." The boy wasn't showing much ambition during their normal practices, much less enough to be sneaking out to practice at night. Before maybe. But not now.

"What if _somebody else_ sees us?" prodded Gou. "Like another Samezuka member. If they see us I'm sure brother would find out about it."

There was that, but Seijuro wasn't about to let _that_ stop him. "I'm sure it will be fine! Nobody is going to show up there that late at night! Not after a full day of practice."

She still didn't look entirely convinced. Still, she relented. "I suppose you're right. Nobody is likely to show up to the pool in the middle of the night after a grueling practice." She gave a half shrug that caused her dress to move in a rather delightful way. "When should we go?"

Seijuro felt like a kid on Christmas morning. "We can go tonight!"

"I can't go tonight." She saw his traumatized expression. "I mean I can't go tonight because I have to make sure the boys get everything packed for the competition. If I don't those boys will end up putting off all their packing until tomorrow night and _then_ they'd end up staying up way too late and likely end up missing the bus the next morning!"

That was…actually a good idea. Seijuro would have to do that tonight with his own swim team. God knows how long it would take some of those guys to find the stuff they needed in that mess they called their room, like Nitori.

"Tomorrow night then?" he asked hopefully.

When Gou smiled at him it felt a bit like New Years after Christmas morning. "Tomorrow night," she agreed softly, then leaned down and flung his pillow at him. "Now go put some pants on for crying out loud! You'll catch a cold standing around like that!"

"Oh, right!" He turned to head into the bedroom.

Tomorrow night. That was the night before they left for the competition. After the competition they would be on their way home. Time was running out.

 _Make it count._ Seijuro hoped he could.

* * *


	29. Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead! My trip was great and I have been really busy since I got back but I finally managed to get this done! Thank you everyone for your kind words! I appreciate every review, bookmark, and kudos especially considering how long it has taken for me to update this monster of a fic.

"Ouch!" Seijuro let out a curse as he stubbed his toe on the raised concrete step. He hopped on one foot, attempting rather unsuccessfully to rub the pain out of the other one. Wearing sandals had been a really, really bad decision.

"Shhh!" Gou's hiss came from somewhere in the dark behind him. "Don't shout so loud! You're going to get us caught!"

"I didn't mean to!" His own swim team's pool, a path he walked _every day_ , and _he_ was the one who was running into things. Granted he normally didn't walk around here in the dark. He had thought about bringing a flashlight but that uncharacteristic bit of light would have attracted too much attention and Gou would have been against it besides. Their phones, those cheap things, hardly produced enough light to be of any use either.

" _There_." With a bit of struggle he finally managed to get the key into the lock and the door to open. "This way."

Inside the pool was a glint of silver and blue, and Seijuro was relieved to find the moonlight streaming in through the windows overhead provided enough luminescence that he could see well enough. It eliminated any need to turn on any artificial light, a light that could cause some poor hapless security guard or janitor to come in to investigate, and Seijuro would be stuck trying to think up a good story as to why he had broken into his very own swim team's pool in the middle of the night. Giving the excuse of _I was trying to flirt with a girl_ may or may not get him into more trouble. Besides the moonlight would make things more romantic!

Or he thought so anyway. The movies always made it seem like it did. Then again all he had been watching lately had been horror movies. Not exactly a good source to pick up romantic ques.

"Well, this is it." He turned to Gou, who was busy staring wide eyed at the pool. "Do you need to change first?"

Unlike him Gou had come dressed normally. He had simply worn his speedo underneath his clothes, not seeing any reason to bring anything else, while Gou had brought along a bag so big it looked like she had used it in a bank heist.

"Uh, yes." She glanced around herself. "Where should I do that?"

He showed her to the bathroom. The locker room, that stinky testosterone riddled place, was not exactly something he wanted her seeing, or smelling for that matter. The last thing he needed was for his attempt at a romantic venture to be spoiled by his date receiving a bad case of athletes foot or gangrene. The bathroom wasn't much better but at least it wasn't quite as trafficked as the locker room.

Once she had closed the door, Seijuro wasted no time in stripping down and slipping into the water. It was a little colder than usual but not bad, and he swam around a bit to warm up. With only himself there the pool seemed much bigger than usual, devoid of all the usual activity and people he was used to seeing when swimming. If he lay still enough and closed his eyes he could imagine the normal sounds he heard during their practice everyday. The splash of a swimmer diving, the sharp blowing whistle, the drip of water as swimmers climbed out, the chatter and shouting of team mates giving advice or encouragement or heckling. Maybe that was one of the best things Seijuro liked about swimming. It could be a one man sport or a team sport. If you didn't like one style you could just try another. Swimming could be whatever you wanted it to be. You made it your own and that, Seijuro felt, had a way of bringing joy to everybody.

Well almost everybody. There were a few rare exceptions. Like Matsuoka.

Seijuro ran his hands over his face. The last thing he wanted to think about right now was Matsuoka –at least not _that_ Matsuoka - nor the heavy decision that was presently hanging over his head. The practices the last two days hadn't gone any better for the red head. Seijuro might have said Matsuoka was off but lately it had become Matsuoka's typical state. The promising swimmer and incredible talent he had shown at the first race had all but vanished, and his floundering could cause the whole relay team to sink. Seijuro had not missed the less than discreet sign Nakagawa had given him today after Matsuoka's disappointing run. The other boy had pointed multiple times at his stop watch. Implying they were running out of time.

Seijiro grit his teeth. He knew that he was running out of time. In more ways than one he was…

"Is the water cold?"

The sudden words made him look up. Above him stood Gou, leaning halfway over with her hands braced above her knees and her hair falling about her shoulders, and despite the fact Seijuro had seen her in a swimsuit before but this was very, very different. For one they hadn't just narrowly escaped drowning, and secondly she wasn't wearing anything else like she had been the last two times he had seen her in a swimsuit. Not a pair of shorts or a jacket. Just a swimsuit, and while Seijuro normally didn't associate swim wear with anything sexual — he spent the majority of his time in one surrounded by other guys wearing the exact same thing – he seemed to be having a hard time not doing that now. A hard time indeed.

 _Shit._ Was the water cold? No, no he needed it to be three times _colder_.

"I-it's great!" His voice squeaked. He coughed. "I-I mean it's not that cold." In fact it was warm. Unusually warm. Too warm. Or maybe that had nothing to do with the water and just Seijuro himself.

Gou frowned down at the silvered water. "I don't know. It looks cold."

"It's not cold, trust me! Once you get in it won't be so bad!" If his whole plan got ruined because she thought the water was too cold he was going to sink to the bottom of the pool and just stay there. Even if it meant giving up the second round of the competition maybe he'd at least win most time spent underwater or something. "Y-you should get in!" he encouraged her.

She considered for a brief moment and then straightened. "Where do I…"

She was looking for a ladder, not wanting to dive into a strange pool she had never been in before in the dark. He extended a hand instead. "Here."

She accepted the offer, and whilst holding onto his hand she maneuvered to the edge, sitting down with her legs dangling over the side before sliding fully in. Seijuro turned his face away from the splash. "It's cold," she complained petulantly. She still had a hold of his hand.

"It isn't bad. Once you start moving around you'll warm up."

He kicked off from the side encouragingly and, after a moment of huddling by the pool's side, Gou followed. He swam backwards, keeping her in his sight and her hand in his. Spending so much time in the water and being quite adapt at backstroke to boot, it was easy for him to swim in this unusual fashion. Not so much for Gou and as they got into deeper water she began to struggle.

Seijuro couldn't help but poke fun at her, laughingly saying, "I thought you said you knew how to swim!"

"I do!" She bobbed like a cork caught in a drain. Her legs kicked furiously in an effort to keep her head above water. "It's just…been a long time. W-well, besides that one escapade in the ocean anyway."

Escapade in the ocean. That was painting it in a pretty positive light. "Here." He tugged her towards him. "Hold onto me."

She did so. She swam forward until she was close enough to grasp his shoulder. She clung to him and Seijuro's heart tripped all over itself like a kid wearing shoes for the first time. He had half expected her to decline the offer or say 'I don't need something like that' like she typically did whenever he offered her something like that, certainly not accept his offer with such complacently.

Had a crack appeared in the egg or was it just Seijuro's imagination?

 _Whatever the case…_ He wrapped his arms loosely around her to keep her in place and kicked backwards, his movements fluid and powerful, but smooth enough to not disturb the water or jostle Gou too much. "There." His back bumped against the pool wall. They had made it to the opposite side of the pool, and he raised an arm to lay along the pool edge to keep them stationary. The other arm he kept around Gou and beneath the water her body was nearly aligned with his. Compounded with the fact neither one of them was particularly wearing much made their position all the more intimate and sensual.

 _At least this side of the pool is dark._ Not too dark that Seijuro couldn't see anything but dark enough to hide…certain things beneath the surface. He was sort of regretting wearing a speedo now.

He focused on the water to try and distract himself, watching it move with their steady breathing. The moonlight illuminated them just enough that he could see the beads of water that clung to Gou's skin, the radiance turning them into rainbow opals. He was so close he could even see the droplets that clung to her eyelashes, though for her part she seemed to be looking anywhere than directly at him.

"This is nice," he said.

Gou grunted. "It's cold."

He laughed. "It isn't _that_ bad." He paused. "You can get out if you like."

She didn't respond right away and he could see her mouth working, as if she had suddenly realized she had a mistake and was desperately trying to backtrack. "N-no," she said, "it's alright. I mean I can tolerate it for a few more minutes."

"Alright." He chuckled.

"The pool really is beautiful though at night," she commented. "You guys sure got a nicer one than we did."

"Did we?" He hadn't realized it before now but he had never seen Iwatobi's pool. He had been so busy with his own swim team he hadn't thought to go look at theirs. "Is yours not as good as this?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. It's a lot smaller, and it's outside. The hosts must like you guys a lot more."

"Well...being a championship school did have its perks." The name Samezuka alone made the host country, and others, want to impress them because they suspected they would be one of the schools to win. A small unknown school like Iwatobi was sure to get the sharp end of the stick when it came to that.

"Speaking of Iwatobi," said Seijuro, a thought suddenly striking him. "Did anyone ask where you had gone the night of the play?"

None of the fours boys had texted or called Gou that night, but the four had likely assumed everything was fine since Gou hadn't said anything to them. They were sure to have been curious as to where she had disappeared to.

"They did," Gou confirmed Seijuro's suspicion. "Makoto asked me the next day and Nagisa of course automatically assumed I had gone somewhere with you, especially since they noticed you were missing too."

Seijuro could only imagine what sort of things had spawned in Nagisa's imagination upon seeing that. "Did they ask about Matsuoka?"

"No. I think they just assumed he had left on his own. They didn't ask me anyway."

"Really?" That was surprising. Or maybe with the tension going on between Iwatobi and Matsuoka they had felt it was best not to ask. "What'd you tell them?"

Not the truth, he suspected. Gou was the type who would hide what had happened so as not to cause further rifts between her swim team and her brother. Besides, none of the boys had shown up at Samezuka's pool to accost Matsuoka, which Seijuro had no doubt they would have done if they knew what had occurred. Makoto seemed like the most likely candidate to do so at first glance but Seijuro couldn't help but imagine it'd be Rei who would ultimately initiate such a confrontation with Matsuoka. The other three Iwatobi members, for whatever reason, appeared much more hesitant in approaching their old friend, while Rei didn't seem to hold such qualms. For all Seijuro knew the other boy might have already called out Matsuoka. That might help explain some of Matsuoka's tumult attitude recently anyway.

"I didn't tell them much," said Gou. "I just told them we had gone window shopping together."

Seijuro wasn't sure what to say to this. For some reason hearing Gou had not only declined to dispute the Iwatobi boys' assumption of her being with him, but had also confirmed it on top of which made him beyond happy. As though it made her being with him, and _only_ him, not unusual at all, an occurrence that was natural and expected. And maybe it was.

"I figured it was the easiest thing to tell them without causing a lot of questions," Gou continued. "Not that it stopped Nagisa from insinuating we were doing naughty things in the changing room, and Rei kept wanting to know what sort of outfits I had looked at to determine if they were beautiful or not."

"W-what'd you tell him?" Seijuro was having a hard time getting the words out through his laughter.

She made a face. "I can't remember. I think I yelled at them for wasting valuable practice time and to get in the pool."

"O-oh," said Seijuro, trying to hide his amusement.

"Those two are the worst." Gou shook herself as if ridding herself of some unsavory thought. "I'm sorry about the other night."

"This again?" Seijuro couldn't help but chuckle. Gou was really hung up on apologizing about that, wasn't she? He found it remarkably adorable for some reason. "Like I said before you have nothing to apologize for. You can't be held responsible for your brother's actions."

"No, I don't mean about that. Not about what happened at the play," she said. "I mean what happened afterwards. When I told you about my brother…and my dad…" She looked away. A hand darted up to tuck a strand of hair self-consciously behind her ear.

Seijuro waited silently, unsure what she was getting at. Was she trying to say she regretted telling him something so personal? He didn't like to think that was it. He didn't want her regretting something like that. He wanted for her to be able to tell him anything and to never regret doing so.

"Telling you something like that was unfair," she resumed after a long moment. "Laying a burden like that on you was really selfish of me to do. I'm truly sorry for doing so."

Oh so that's what it was. He closed his eyes, a stray chuckle escaping. When he raised his hand and placed it atop her head she stiffened, but if it was because of the cold water trailing down her neck or something else he wasn't sure. "Don't be ridiculous," he told her. "You don't have to apologize for that at all. Telling me something like that…I'm actually glad you did so. I'm happy to have heard it."

Gou, in the midst of patting down her newly wet hair, tilted her head sharply, eyebrows drawing down into a V. "W-what, why? Why would you possibly be happy about something like that?"

"Because…" He rubbed the back of his head. How was he supposed to respond to this? He had the words, or more accurately the feelings, built in his head but speaking them aloud was totally different. The words only became clunky and tangled together trying to voice them aloud.

"It was something that was troubling you, right?" he said carefully. "If talking about those sorts of troubling things makes you feel better then I'll gladly listen. I want you to tell me. If it makes you feel better I want you to be able to tell me anything that was burdening you." A beat. "I want you to be able to lay all your burdens on me."

There was no immediate response. Only the sounds of their breath between them. Then slowly Gou turned her face away. A hand rose to her mouth, and Seijuro thought the worse until he felt the tremors in her body give her away.

"Y-you're laughing!"

She spluttered with stifled laughter, her mirth bubbling out of her like liquid from a cauldron. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She waved a hand. "I don't mean to laugh but that…that was just so…so…" She wiped away a tear. "S-so lame!"

Seijuro's mouth fell open. That had not been the reaction he had wanted from his little confession _at all._ " _Oh jeez_." He aimed a petulant glare at the wall, his cheeks growing so hot they might burst into flames. Here he was trying to be all romantic and she was _laughing_ at him! That was what he got for taking romantic advice from horror movies. This sucked.

His sulk only made her laugh all the harder and Seijuro closed his eyes, the embarrassed heat running like wildfire up his skin.

"D-don't be upset! I'm sorry for laughing!" she said, as she continued laughing.

He snorted, which only elicited another giggle. He felt her lean forward and then against his cheek her lips pressed. "Thank you anyway," she said quietly, her words punctuated by a stray giggle. "I do appreciate it, really."

Seijuro's face twitched, caught in a spasm as he fought to try and stop the smile from forming. He still wanted to be annoyed, damn it. But how could he be? She was too cute and she had kissed him. How could anyone possibly stay mad after that?

When he leaned towards her she met him halfway, face tilting up as if she were expecting something else, but Seijuro only leaned his forehead against her own. She held still and against his face he could feel her breath. He wanted to kiss her, _a lot_ , but on the other hand he didn't want to get distracted. If he kissed her and she ended up truly kissing him back he might lose sight of what he had planned this whole thing for. He'd end up wanting to do nothing _but_ kiss her.

Becoming physically entwined with Gou when she wasn't aware of what he wanted was unfair not only to her but him as well. For all he knew he might be deceiving himself into believing something that wasn't actually there, and she might believe he was trying to deceive or trick her by initiating something far further than he already had and only then telling her what he truly wanted. He didn't want that. Neither case.

If they were going to move forward then he had to tell her how he truly felt. He was running out of time. It was now or never.

He opened his mouth. "Gou, I—"

A large clattering sound rang out across the pool space. The loud noise caused them to jump apart and Gou ducked down, covering her head with her arms like the ceiling were about to collapse on them. "What was that?" she hissed.

Seijuro's mouth was unusually dry. He swallowed, trying to coax moisture, heart yammering in his chest like a sledgehammer battering against his rib cage. That sound had most definitely come from the front entrance. He listened, ears straining.

And then, faintly from the front, a voice. Male from the sounds of it. And definitely here.

Gou crouched further down in the water. Her eyes were so wide Seijuro could see the whites as she stared morbidly at the front entrance. "Could it be my bro-broth—" She couldn't even finish the sentence.

 _Matsuoka?_ Seijuro had a hard time believing that. The only reason Matsuoka would have to come to the pool was if he had found about Seijuro's and Gou's little escapade. But Seijuro hadn't told anyone, and he didn't think Gou had either. But whatever the case someone was here. There was no question about that. But who it was and why they had come to the pool in the middle of the night he didn't know. _No choice but to find out._

He lifted himself out of the pool. "Stay here."

Gou nodded mutely, shrinking down further till only her head were above the water. The darkness at least would help hide her and if she had to she could duck beneath the surface. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that though.

Seijuro headed to the front. His shoulders were so incredibly tight it was almost painful and he shook his arm to try and loosen them, startled when he noticed he had curled his hand into a fist.

If it was in fact Matsuoka at the door…Well, the last thing Seijuro would be concerned about then was taking him off the relay. They both had a competition in just a few days. Getting into a physical altercation, which Seijuro had no doubt Matsuoka would do if he caught them like this, was the last thing either of them needed right before they got thrown into a crucial race. Not to mention Matsuoka's already shaky mental state. Seeing something like this could really send him over the edge.

He came to the door. He paused there, listening. On the other side he could hear someone talking and also struggling with the lock. They were trying to open it. Somehow thinking that someone was trying to break into the pool he was in charge of made him feel quite affronted, and that was enough to conquer any misgiving he had about opening the door. He grabbed the knob and thrust it open. Only to find—

"N-Noro?"

"O-oh, h-hi, Captain!" The other boy danced backwards. "I-I didn't realize you were here!" He suddenly seemed to realize the piece of metal he held in his hand, the instrument he must have been trying to use to unlock the door, and he quickly hid it behind his back, giving a laugh that was way too conspicuous.

"What the hell are you doing here?" A giggle caught Seijuro's attention and he looked up. Down the hall he could faintly see several girls. Girls that looked like they had just come from the bar. _Well, that explains things a bit._ "What are you trying to _do_ breaking into the pool in the middle of the night?"

"O-oh that?" Noro fidgeted. "Uhhhh, well you see, I-I was… umm trying to flirt with a girl?" He gave an exaggerated shrug with both arms in an almost hopeless gesture, like he just possibly couldn't stop these sort of things from happening, smile abashed but still tilted with mischief.

"…Oh." Well, that certainly sounded familiar. Seijuro couldn't exactly fault him for that now, could he? Although Noro choosing tonight of all times was extremely, _incredibly_ aggravating.

"I was just going to use the pool for a bit. I was planning on impressing her with it and my sweet swimming skills!" Noro turned to the side to demonstrate these supposedly 'sweet skills' in the air. "I didn't realize you were already here though. Looks like you beat me to it."

Good thing Seijuro had too. It would have been absolutely terrible to bring Gou here only to stumble in on Noro and a bunch of girls possibly doing some very unsavory things. Gou would have been absolutely traumatized and Seijuro might have blown a gasket. The swim team _swam_ in that pool everyday for God's sake, and they were only supposed to be swimming in _water_. Speaking of which…

"What were you planning to swim in exactly?" It didn't look like the boy had any swimming gear with him at all...

"Oh, you know." Noro waved his hand vaguely.

On second thought Seijuro didn't want to know. He closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten.

"By the way, who's in there with you?"

Seijuro opened his eyes to find Noro standing on tip toes to peer over his shoulder.

"You're not alone, are you?"

Seijuro stiffened. _Shit._ Guess it wasn't as dark as he had thought on the other side of the pool, and now lying and saying no one was there with him would only make Noro that much more curious however. "Don't worry about it, Noro."

Noro blinked hard, as he wasn't sure of what he was seeing. "Is that a girl?"

"Never mind, Noro."

"Is that—" His eyes widened. "That's the girl from—"

" _Drop it_ , Noro."

That finally did register. The other boy dropped back. "Sorry, Captain." He hiccupped. "You should have told me you were here with a girl. I would have gone elsewhere if I had known—"

"You shouldn't be breaking into the pool regardless! Especially not our pool for _that_!" Seijuro exclaimed. "Not to mention we have a competition coming up! What are you doing drinking?!"

Noro laughed, though he at least had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. "Call it one last thrill before the end, right? I can't help but try and relax before a competition, you know? Otherwise I just end up being all wound up and that's no fun for anyone! Just look at Matsuoka! Guy is so on edge he can't even enjoy swimming anymore. Who would ever want that?"

So even Noro had noticed. Seijuro pressed his teeth together.

"Anyway." Noro hiccupped again. "Since you're using the pool I guess I should head home then—"

"You had better!" Seijuro warned. "Go home – alone - and go to sleep immediately! If you aren't on time tomorrow I'm kicking you off the swim team!"

Noro laughed at the empty threat. Seijuro had never kicked off anyone before, much less a good swimmer. "Of course, Captain!" He turned and headed down the hall, waving cheerfully. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck with your swimming!" He threw him a wink over his shoulder.

Seijuro's hand curled into a fist. If he had a shoe on him he might have been tempted to throw it. _That guy…_ Noro's drunken escapades were going to get him into trouble one of these days. Then again he hadn't gotten married while drunk. _Unlike somebody._

Grumbling under his breath, Seijuro closed the door and headed back to where Gou was. She was still huddled against the wall of the pool when he got there, eyes still huge. "W-was it my brother?"

He shook his head. "No, just some drunken idiot causing trouble. Everything's fine."

His assurances did nothing to stop her from being nervous however. She bit her lip, gaze going back to the front door like she expected someone to walk through it any minute, and Seijuro wasn't sure if it was the cold that was making her shiver.

He sighed. There was no helping it. Now wasn't the right time to talk about things. He couldn't drop something like that into her lap while she was this freaked on. "Come on." He bent down to offer her a hand. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"That was close." Gou glanced behind herself for the tenth time as they made their way down the darkened streets. Despite knowing there was no one there she couldn't stop checking. " _Too_ close." She shivered against the wind. She hadn't spent enough time to properly dry off before leaving, only throwing on her normal clothes over her bathing suit to get out of there quicker and now all her clothes were wet along with her hair.

"That was a terrible idea," she continued, "going to the pool. If brother had caught us…" She shuddered. If her brother had been there it would have been terrible. Beyond terrible. Devastating. He likely wouldn't have killed her, not after what happened the other night, but he would have never, ever forgiven her.

And that was way worse.

"It wasn't him though," said Seijuro as they came up to the front door. "Matsuoka wouldn't show up at the pool that late. Everything's okay, no harm was done."

Gou waited tensely for him to unlock the door and almost darted through it like a scared rabbit with a fox at its tail. "Everything is not _okay,_ "she protested. "If _anyone_ had caught us it would have been horrible. If they had seen us and told my brother…" Her hand's tightened on her bag. "That was way too close. We can't let anyone know about this. Absolutely no one can know about this…this _mistake_!"

"Mistake?"

"The marriage."

Seijuro didn't respond to this. He closed the door, encasing them in the darkness of the house.

"Just a few more days." Gou dropped her bag to the ground like a wet sack full of clothes and clenched her hands in front of her chest. "Just a few more days and we'll be back in Japan. Just a few more days and we'll be back in Japan where we can forget this whole thing ever happened!" She exhaled loudly. "Thank goodness!"

From the corner of her eye she thought she saw Seijuro give an odd twitch. "Once we get back to Japan," he said slowly, "then what?"

"We'll get a divorce," said Gou right away, "and then pretend this never happened."

"Act like nothing happened?" Seijuro's words were strangely measured. "At all?"

What was going on with him? He had been acting weirdly ever since they had left the pool. "Of course! It was just a big mistake. I intend to forget _everything_."

"Everything?"

The way he said that made her look over. He was still standing by the closed door and in the shadows she was unable to see his face clearly. Where were these questions coming from all of a sudden, she wondered? "Well, yeah." She shrugged a shoulder. "Why would I want to remember anything?"

His mouth hardened. Even in the dim light she could see that, and she blinked as there was a strange shifting in his eyes the likes of it she had never seen before. He moved away from the door, and when he walked towards her she tilted her head up to keep his face in sight, but he only passed by her on his way to the couch.

"Seijuro?" She turned to keep him in sight. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing." He sat down. Even his posture looked wrong. "Nothing's wrong."

By his tone there was definitely something wrong _._ What was going on? Where was this coming from all of a sudden? This was exactly what they had agreed upon when they had first discovered their little mistake after all. Nothing had happened to change that. Had it?

"Seijuro?" She said his name slowly.

"It's nothing."

"It's clearly _not_ nothing." Was he angry? She couldn't tell. He was certainly not happy, that was for sure, but _why_? "What are you upset about?"

He didn't respond to this. His gaze was fixed sideways on the wall, as if he were unsure if he should answer or not.

Gou remembered what he had told her at the pool. If she could place all her burdens onto him then shouldn't he be able to do the same? Strangely she kind of wanted him to. "Please tell me," she said softly.

That seemed to get him. His mouth twitched. He sighed like he were giving in to something he didn't want to. He leaned back and ran a hand over his face, pausing over his eyes and keeping the appendage there. "Is it really so bad," he said, "being married to me?"

For a good fifteen seconds Gou couldn't move. She could barely breathe or blink, much less speak or think. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Had he…was he…was he saying he wanted to _stay_ married? She struggled to get her brain and clay tongue working. "I don't…A-are you…"

She couldn't even form a complete sentence. Her whole thought process felt scattered like it had been struck blind side by a truck.

Seijuro sighed. He dropped his hand limply back down to the couch. "You should go to bed," he told her. "You have to get up early tomorrow, don't you?"

He was right. She did. But…she didn't want to leave things like this either. She tried to think of something, anything, to say but the words wouldn't come. What could she say to that?

Eventually she gave in and headed for the bedroom. It was no good trying to talk about things when she had no words to give.

Tomorrow. She would fix it tomorrow. Tomorrow they would talk for sure.

Even if she had utterly no idea what she was going to say.

* * *

For a long moment Seijuro remained sitting on the couch as the light from the bedroom went out. He listened to the sound of Gou getting into bed, the soft creak of the mattress as she settled onto it, and he continued sitting there even as the darkness settled around him. He stared at the table top in front of him despite that he couldn't see it anymore.

Finally after a long while he reached into his pocket. He pulled out his phone. The phone Gou had gotten him. He pushed that thought aside. It didn't matter now. Maybe never had.

He flipped the phone open. He punched in a number and held it to his ear.

He had to get up early but there was no way he was going to be able to sleep. Not now. He was too on edge. Too tangled and strung out. Too…He didn't know what.

He couldn't sleep.

But there was something else he could do.

* * *

"Thanks again for meeting me." Seijuro leaned over to peer down the stairs as he heard the footsteps approaching. "Sorry to make you come out here so late."

"Oh, no, it's not a problem at all." Makoto stepped up onto the deck. He shivered, hunching down into his jacket against the wind. Despite it being summer the high elevation of the observation deck made the ocean wind all that more prominent. "I figured you wouldn't call me so late if it weren't something important."

Seijuro peered over his shoulder. "Nanase?"

"Oh, don't worry, he's not here. He was asleep when I left. Otherwise I'm not sure how I would have been able to make it out here without having to explain where I was going in the middle of the night." He laughed a mixture of embarrassment and delight. "I don't think he'll wake up any time soon. He was uhhh…p-pretty worn out...from earlier." There was a hint of red on Makoto's cheeks.

Seijuro really didn't want to know. "From practice?" he suggested.

Makoto latched onto that. "Yes, from practice." He coughed. "A-anyway what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"It's about Matsuoka."

Makoto raised his eyebrows. "Rin?"

"And Nanase."

Makoto's lips parted, but he said nothing, waiting for Seijuro to continue.

Seijuro leaned back against the railing. "I figured if I tried to go to Nanase he wouldn't tell me. Nor Matsuoka. He's the type who'll deny being sick even when he's bleeding from the mouth. Nanase too. Talking about his feelings is likely like pulling teeth with him."

Makoto looked vaguely amused at this.

"And anyway you're the swim team captain besides. I felt it would be more appropriate to ask you. One captain to another sort of thing." Seijuro fixed his gaze on the teenager opposite him. "What exactly happened between Matsuoka and Nanase?"

For a long moment Makoto didn't respond. His gaze lowered to the wood underneath their feet. "So you noticed it too, huh?" The words were soft. He chewed his lip. He glanced to the ocean, as if searching for answers in the moon lit waters. He sighed. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you. What happened is in the past, and you are Rin's swim team captain after all. You have a bit of a right to know." He rubbed the back of his head. "Although, to be honest with you I don't know everything that occurred. I've…only been told some of it. But I can tell you what I do know."

Seijuro nodded. "Of course. Whatever you can tell me would be appreciated."

He listened silently as Makoto reiterated the story to him. The ill-fated meeting between Haru and Rin during the winter of their first middle school year. The poisonous race that followed, with Haru beating Rin in a tremendous victory, a victory that only came to corrupt and corrode the two boys in their own separate ways. Haru had quit swimming, believing his gift to be nothing but an ill-concealed trap to hurt others, and Rin had fled back to another country, leaving nothing but noxious silence and hostile actions in his wake. When they had met again, years later, it was only to reopen old wounds that had never managed to heal over in the first place. The two of them were locked in a bitter, savage war with each other. Their battlefield just happened to be inside a pool.

Under different circumstances Seijuro might have thought Matsuoka had acted childishly. But this was racing. If you didn't win, what was the point? Seijuro didn't hold grudges; if he didn't win it was simply because he wasn't fast enough. But for someone as fiery and temperamental as Matsuoka, who had grasped for victory like a dying man, being so soundly and utterly beaten by someone who never batted an eye about trying to win, that was sure to spark a downslide of self-incrimination.

But to quit swimming _completely_ over something like? That Seijuro didn't understand. Makoto's story explained the rivalry between Matsuoka and Haru, but there still had to be more to it.

He mulled that over for a minute before he pushed himself off the railing. "Thanks for telling me all this, Makoto."

"Of course. Sorry I couldn't have been of more help. If I knew everything…" He trailed off. If Makoto knew everything he would try to help. But he couldn't. One cannot battle in a war they have no stake in.

"Don't apologize, you've been of more help than you realize." _In more ways than one._ Makoto had always done the best he could to help Gou and him. Seijuro knew how much Gou had come to rely on the other boy and now Seijuro understood why. Makoto was someone Seijuro had truly come to respect. He was a far better captain than he realized.

"What are you planning to do?"

Seijuro frowned. "I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "I'll still need to think about it." He shook himself. "But thank you again for meeting me out here so late."

He headed for the stairs, but ere he was hardly down one level when Makoto called out to him.

"Seijuro."

The unusual name made him stop. Makoto calling him by his first name? He had never done that before. Then again Seijuro had used Makoto's first name earlier without even thinking about it. Funny how that sort of stuff just slipped out without his noticing.

"I'm glad it was you." Makoto was leaning over the railing, green eyes urgent, almost compassionate. "I'm glad it was you who married Gou."

 _Oh._ The corner of Seijuro's mouth upturned. He closed his eyes. The universe, he decided, could be a really funny place sometimes.

He gave Makoto a wider smile in response then continued to make his way down the stairs. He was glad it was dark. He wouldn't want Makoto, perceptive as he was, to see what was really behind his smile.

He couldn't understand it. Why Makoto thought he was such a good guy. He was a pretty selfish human being, maybe even a terrible one. He liked to be in charge and he liked winning. Even if that meant having to crush someone else's dreams or feelings in order to do so.

He's always been a pretty selfish human being. He had wanted Gou. Maybe that was why, while completely drunk and obliterated, he had married her.

He stopped. Under the darkness of the unlit beach he rubbed his forehead. Before he hadn't know why he had gotten married.

But now he felt like he was starting to get an idea why he had.

* * *


	30. Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of the new episode 14 coming out I guess! What a wild ride that was! Hopefully we'll get more releases in the future!

The house was empty the next morning.

Gou stood in the living room like it were an alien landscape she had not seen before. Seijuro's bags were gone. His phone charger was absent, the gaming system had been returned. He had even folded up the sheets on the couch into a neat little pile.

Seeing that small action, one which he had never done before, gave such a sense of finality to everything that Gou felt it like a wound.

She had known he was leaving early but not _this_ early. He must have left at dawn, or before then. Had he slept at all?

She glanced towards the door. She should go after him, she knew, but then she had no idea what she would say, not to mention Samezuka may very well have left by now. She should call or text him but somehow either option felt wrong given the circumstances. After what had happened texting would seem like a slap in the face and calling him to only sit there in silence would make things worse. Not to mention if he refused to answer her phone call…

She shook her head. She didn't want to think about that. She didn't even want to consider that.

So what should she do?

She stood for a long moment in the empty living room. She turned and headed into the bedroom to get dressed.

She had no idea what to do. But maybe someone else would.

* * *

"And _then_ he was gone before I had even gotten up this morning! He even folded up his sheets!" Such a small thing but she made it sound like it were the end of the world. She buried her face in her hands. "I think he's mad at me."

"Uh huh," said Makoto a little too whimsically for her taste. He was silent for a moment, considering. "I don't know if mad is the right word," he observed. "Crushed might be more accurate."

Gou shot a glare at him from under her hands. _That's what you were focused on?!_ As if she didn't feel bad enough already! She had hoped Makoto would cheer her up but instead all he was doing was making her feel worse! She dropped her hands between her knees with a sigh, glancing up at the splashing sound of Haru diving in.

The two boys had left the lodges early to get in one more swim before they departed for the competition. Gou had tagged along, intruding on the two's private venture and making herself an inconvenience, once Hana had let her know she was busy at a hosting event and wouldn't be able to meet up with her. Not that Makoto seemed to mind Gou's intrusion. He appeared to be more inclined watching Haru swim than actually swimming himself.

"I guess I just don't get why he would say that. I mean we've agreed since the beginning that we would get a divorce once we got back to Japan. Why would he suddenly change his mind?"

"I don't know if I'd call it sudden," Makoto said slowly.

Gou narrowed her eyes. She had heard that tone before. From her brother mostly, when he was trying to hide something from her and she was dangerously close to figuring it out.

"You knew already, didn't you?"

The way he moved his shoulders as if he were shrinking down into himself made her certain she had guessed right.

"W-well, somewhat." He coughed. "I didn't know he had changed his mind about the divorce, but I did know he had feelings for you. He…wasn't exactly subtle about it."

Leave it to Captain X-ray to make a comment like that. _This coming from the guy who can read No-Expression-Haru_ _like it's nothing!_ "Well, _I_ didn't notice any of it!"

"Maybe you didn't want to see it."

That made her stall for a brief second, mouth hanging open. "Huh?"

"Maybe seeing the way he truly felt made you feel nervous so you didn't want to see it." He shrugged. "Or maybe you just passed it off as something else. Considering the position you were in, and with your brother here, that's not an unrealistic assumption to make. Seeing those sorts of indications from Seijuro _would_ complicate an already fairly complicated situation, so maybe you just didn't want to see them and thus didn't."

Gou wasn't sure if that were true or not – the way he phrased it made it sound like she had been deluding herself this entire time - but maybe he did have a point. Maybe Seijuro _had_ been obvious and she just hadn't been paying enough attention to truly notice it for what it was. Maybe she had been so tied up in worrying about the marriage and worrying about her brother and the swim team, and worrying about her brother finding out about the marriage that she just hadn't paid attention at all. He had kissed her, twice, and while the first time she had assumed had simply been him just wanting her to stop bemoaning not being able to remember her first kiss, that didn't explain why he had kissed her a second time.

For all she knew Seijuro might have been screaming at her this entire time and she simply hadn't noticed because she had had her hands clamped over her ears. Or maybe it was because he had been screaming at her in a language she had never heard before. It wasn't like she was experienced in any sort of love…thing. Maybe she had always believed his actions were because of some other reason when they had been for the simplest one.

She shook her head. "That aside, I can't believe he would want to stay married."

"Have you two talked about the divorce at all since you initially agreed to it?" asked Makoto. "Had Seijuro never said anything about it before?"

Come to think of it he hadn't said a word about the divorce ever since their initial conversation regarding their marriage, Gou realized. "No, he hasn't." She furrowed her brows. "I wonder why he didn't say anything sooner."

"He was likely scared to tell you."

Gou nearly guffawed. " _Seijuro_ scared? I don't think he even understands the meaning of being scared." He had dove into a roaring ocean without a second thought to rescue her after all. And he had gone to see whoever had been banging on the pool door last night while she had huddled frozen stiff in the shadows, barely able to breathe much less go confront said person. And the way he always seemed so calm when they were in scary situations. Like at the zoo, or when they had been stuck in that abandoned lighthouse, or at the alligator park – even though it had been partly _his_ fault for why it had been scary. No matter what sort of trouble they found themselves in Seijuro always managed to keep himself calm throughout it all and take it all in stride. Even their accidental marriage.

"Don't misconstrue bravery for a lack of fear," advised Makoto. "And there are different forms of bravery too. I'm sure it was hard for him to say those things to you. Confessing to a person you like isn't easy for anyone when their feelings are genuine I imagine." His mouth twitched a little as he watched Haru gliding underneath the surface of the water. "For him to admit to himself he had those feelings, much less confess to you, may well have been very hard for him. Your accidental marriage threw him for a loop too after all. I'm sure it was very difficult for him to admit all that to you when he was unsure of your feelings."

"But _why_?" Gou slapped her hands against her knees. "Why _wouldn't_ he want to get a divorce?"

Makoto chuckled. He rose from his sitting position as from the pool Haru prepared to climb out. "Probably because he already knows how lucky he is."

Gou blinked. "Huh?" Maybe she hadn't heard him right.

But he was already walking away, leaving Gou to simply continue blinking after him. He held out a towel for the sopping wet Haru, commenting on how much the other boy had improved, Haru responding with a simple, "Ah," and a turning of his head that did little to hide the slight of red that painted his cheeks.

Well, whatever _that_ had meant those two certainly looked to be doing well. Their relationship seemed so clean cut and simple, unfettered by obstacles or misgivings. She was honestly a little envious.

Then again…Haru and Makoto had gone through their own share of hardship and uncertainty before they had reached this point, hadn't they? It had taken quite a while for them to progress this far. _And if Seijuro and I hadn't gotten married it may very well have never happened._ She crossed her arms over her chest, eyelids lowering. She didn't want to think about that right now.

They waited briefly for Haru to go change before heading back to the lodges to meet up with the others and head for the bus stop for the boys to depart. "It's not that I'm against Seijuro per say," Gou said slowly as they made their way down the street. "But to stay _married_? I would just… miss out on so much!" She raised her hands in a gesture like she was desperately holding onto the world. "There's so much more I wanted to experience!"

"Do you mean other guys?"

The statement from Haru was so unexpected Gou almost stopped dead in her tracks. "H-huh?"

Haru pushed his wet hair out of his eyes to look at her properly. "You said there's so much more you wanted to experience." He stared at her as if confused by her confusion. "By that don't you mean other guys?"

Gou's mouth opened and closed a few times. Where was this coming from? She hadn't said a single thing about other guys. "N-no, not at all." There wasn't anyone else she was even _remotely_ interested in. Outside of Seijuro she hadn't thought of anyone else in that sort of context whatsoever.

"Then I don't see why being married would hinder you getting to experience much." Haru shrugged as if were the most obvious thing in the world. "Being married just means you'll get to experience all those things with someone you care about as well, right? Isn't that better?"

Gou blinked slowly. "I…" but that was as far as she got. She didn't know what to say. She had never thought of it like that before.

"Haru…" Makoto meanwhile looked like cannons had shot stars into his eyes, the way he was looking at Haru so breathlessly.

Haru turned back to the road. "That's just my opinion anyway," he mumbled. "You can do as you like." He started forward once more, steps a little too jerky for his normal fluid gait.

"Haru-chan, that was so beautiful!"

"You sound like Rei," Haru accused. And then, as an afterthought, "Drop the chan."

"But Haru-chan!"

"Now you sound like Nagisa."

Gou watched as the two of them went down the road together, Makoto babbling away about how amazing Haru was and Haru turning more and more like the color of salmon.

Gou blew air through her teeth. _Idiots_. They really were.

And they had been no help at all!

* * *

A little while later Gou sat on the outside porch behind the boys' lodge, glaring moodily at the waves moving back and forth along the beach. Makoto and Haru had disappeared inside to pack and, in Haru's case, to take a bath unbelievably. How he could possibly want to be in more water after having spent so much time swimming was beyond her, but it was Haru they were talking about here. If the average human's body was around sixty percent water Haru's was much closer to ninety percent she imagined.

Several yards from her Nagisa was walking along the railing, arms spread out on either side of him and each step a ten second long endeavor. Rei, who had given up on scolding him, hovered nearby, and anytime Nagisa lost his balance and pinwheeled, Rei would let out a high pitched squawk that reminded Gou of some sort of large obnoxious parrot. Apparently the two of them had become quite bored whilst Makoto and Haru had been out. They had been doing this since Gou had come out here to talk to them.

"Either you want to be with him or you don't, Gou-chan." Nagisa pivoted on his heel, making Rei stiffen like a cat that had been brought too close to water.

She ground her teeth. She hated how Nagisa made her whole situation sound so simplistic. "It's Kou," she corrected. "And it isn't that simple."

"How is it not?" He shrugged and almost made himself lose his balance. "Either you want to be with him or you don't. How is that not simple?"

Gou sighed heavily. Nagisa just didn't get it. But he had always been like that. He always saw things so simply. If he wanted something, he went after it. Like the swim club. He had wanted to swim with Makoto and Haru again, and so he had switched schools and started the swim club once he discovered there wasn't one. He had wanted Rei, first as a club member and then as a lover, and he had gone after the other boy with a lack of hesitation and doggedness that was quite admirable.

And maybe it was because of that exact reason that it hadn't taken long for the two of them to become a couple, Gou thought. Such clear direction and fortitude she had to admit she was quite jealous of. If only she had been born like that, like he had.

Or could it be Nagisa had already learned a valuable lesson about letting that which he truly wanted slip through his fingers in order to appease others, letting go of what he truly desired in order to do what was most expected of him. Truth be known Gou didn't know much about his past.

Well, there was time later to discuss those sorts of things. There was a much more paramount subject going on right now.

"It isn't as black and white as that. There are other complications involved."

"Like what?"

"Like the marriage for example."

"The marriage?" Rei chimed in at those words. "But Seijuro and yourself hold no assets together, no shared income or liabilities. You have no wills, and I know for a fact there was no prenuptial agreement. Nor do you have any children together, at least none that we're aware of."

Gou shot him a withering glare.

"With all that taken into consideration your marriage is as uncomplicated as they come."

"It has nothing to do with those sorts of…things." Honestly Gou had understood only about half of what Rei was talking about. Mainly just the children part.

"Then what is it?"

She stretched her hands out over her knees, gaze going back to the ocean. "I…feel a little bit trapped because of the marriage," she admitted softly, both to him and herself. "Trapped in something I didn't necessarily want."

"O-oh." Rei adjusted his glasses. "W-well." He smoothed down invisible wrinkles out of his shirt.

Nagisa moved across the railing to sit down on the portion that was closest to where she sat on the steps. "Gou-chan, you're always looking at that marriage like it's a set of chains or bars to trap you in. Ever since it first happened you have been, but it doesn't have to be like that. It's only you that sees it that way."

Gou scowled. "Fine then." She pointed at the two boys. "How would you feel if you and Rei woke up tomorrow to find out you were now married?"

Nagisa's smile was beaming. "Great!"

"A disaster."

"Rei-chan!"

"Ha!" At least there was _one_ person here who was still sane.

"W-well, it's not like we had planned or wanted to get married," Rei spluttered, like it had actually happened and he had to justify it or something. "It would be quite…alarming, admittedly, to awaken and discover what had occurred without any prior consideration of its actions. It would most definitely be quite a stressing situation considering the significance of such a thing." He paused to scratch the top of his head. "However I don't think I would go so far as to get a divorce if that were to happen. After all in the end I lov—" He blanched. " _Care_ deeply about Nagisa-kun," he corrected himself, although now his ears were so red Gou was concerned they might explode, and he couldn't look either of them in the face anymore, "and so therefore while I hadn't _intended_ to get married I would still try my best to look at it as a blessing in disguise because in the end I would still want to be with Nagisa-kun and that would be preferable than _not_ being with Nagisa-kun and so I…ummm…" His sentence came to a stifling embarrassing end and he fell silent, so red he looked like some sort of Christmas light bulb someone had left on for far too long.

"See, Gou-chan." Nagisa turned grinning back to her, leaving Rei to steam in his own awkwardness.

"That was a hypothetical situation! You can't possibly compare to the two."

"But you were the one who suggested it," said Rei in a weak voice.

Gou pretended not to hear.

"Well, if you still can't look at the marriage in any other way then just tell Sei-chan that. If you tell Sei-chan you just don't want to be married because of that reason, if you explain it properly, I'm sure Sei-chan will understand. If you don't explain your feelings to him then how is he supposed to act?" Nagisa swung his legs like a toddler on a playground. "Sei-chan will just be happy that you're not shutting him out completely. I doubt he'll even be upset. He only wants to please you. If you told him you'd never want to see him again I'm sure he wouldn't be happy about it but he'd still do it just to make you happy. Sei-chan is like that."

"Are you saying I should date Seijuro because of that?" she grumbled.

"No. Date him because you like him. If you like him, date him. Simple as that."

Simple as that. _Too simple._ "I never said I wanted to be with him," Gou insisted stubbornly.

Nagisa sighed. "Gou-chan," he said tiredly, "do you really think we would be having this conversation if you didn't?"

Gou opened her mouth but froze before any words made their way out. She blinked slowly, staring at the spot past Nagisa's shoulder as slowly the pieces fell into place, creating a whole and…

He was right. She couldn't believe it. Nagisa was right.

She _wouldn't_ be having all these conversations, bothering everyone with her problems, if she _didn't._ If she didn't want Seijuro then turning him down and letting him disappear out of her life would be easy and…

_Simple._

She stared. It would be… _Utterly and stupidly simple._

If she truly didn't want him then letting him go, telling him no, would be effortless and so, so easy. It would be so laughably simple.

But it wasn't. And because it wasn't, because she spent so much time and energy worrying about things with him, agonizing over it, as much as she was, as much as she _had_ been, then that meant…that meant…

She shook her head. Instead she tried to imagine what it _would_ be like to have Seijuro disappear from her life. To imagine if she wasn't able to see him every day or hear his loud voice anymore. To not eat his cooking or watch scary movies and play video games with him. To not be able to ogle his muscle or see the way he looked at her when she was all done up, like she was some sort of gorgeous creature that shouldn't exist. To never again see that smile that crossed his face whenever he first saw her and made her feel like she was the entire world. If she wasn't able to feel his warmth whenever she wanted to anymore.

The very idea of cutting Seijuro out of her life completely, of letting him go and not having him there anymore, made her feel like she was hurting so much she would be sick.

_What am I supposed to do if you're no longer a part of my life?_ She swallowed. Her chest ached with such a severity it was like someone had struck their fist clean through her. _What am I supposed to do,_ she thought, _if you're not there to offer me a hand to hold anymore?_

There was only one thing she could possibly do in such a situation. She began to cry.

"Uwahhhhh!" Nagisa scrambled like a squirrel to maintain his perch. "G-gou-chan!"

"W-what did you _do_?!" Rei's voice was shrill. "You—you broke her!"

"I-I didn't meant to!" Nagisa fell more than got down from the railing. "What do we do?!"

"I don't know! I-I think we should get get Ama-chan-sensei!"

"Oh god! I broke Gou-chan!"

"I'm not broken, you idiots!"

But it was too late. Nagisa was already dashing towards the door, screaming as he went, "Ama-chan-sensei! Ama-chan-sensei!" She could hear him screaming even as he entered the house.

Rei followed quickly after him. "W-we must—we must—" It appeared that he was stuck on repeat.

_What idiots._ Gou rolled her eyes. They truly were idiots. _All_ of them.

She wiped at the tears on her face. She laughed a little.

But then again she was the biggest one of them all, wasn't she?

* * *

"Now, now." Amakata wiped the cool cloth over Gou's face, wiping away her tears. "There's no reason to get upset and cry. It isn't the end of the world."

This scene was giving Gou a strong sense of déjà vu for some reason. She sniffed. "I wasn't crying because I was upset." _Well, maybe a little_. "I just…thought of something sad, that's all."

"The marriage?"

Gou twitched a little. Had the boys said something to the teacher or had she guessed it on her own? "Y-yes."

Amakata stepped back, seemingly satisfied with her work, and leaned against the bathroom counter. "Well, no one could blame you for that. I'm sure it was very frightening waking up to such a thing. Any person would feel trapped in that situation. What you're feeling isn't wrong."

"I'm glad _someone_ agrees with me." Gou blew her nose. "The marriage was a mistake."

"Mistake, yes, of course." Amakata tapped a finger against her chin. "By the way, Gou-chan," she said slowly, "have I ever told you about why I moved back to Iwatobi?"

Gou raised an eyebrow. That was an odd change of subject. "No…"

All she knew about the teacher was what everyone else around school already knew. That Amakata had gone to college in Tokyo and found a job there, only to return to Iwatobi when her dream fell through. Whatever that dream had been or why it fell through Gou had no idea. Nor did she know why Amakata refused so vehemently to ever wear a swim suit again.

"Well, I can't say too much since that could get me into trouble," Amakata laughed, "but I can tell you a little bit." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking up at the light overhead as if asking it where she should start. "I guess you could say I was really lucky. Right out of college I got a job, you see, and such a prestigious one too! It was at a very well established company, and they offered me a lot of money and a lot of perks too. They _really_ wanted me working there." She laughed a laugh that didn't really sound like one. "It was a grand time. I got to live in such luxury. I traveled to so many exotic places, attended so many parties, saw so many ritzy places, and the men! There were so many men! Lots of good looking men! Rich men! And so sophisticated! I thought one day I would marry one of them. One of those sophisticated rich men, and for a while it looked like I would."

Gou paused in blowing her nose again. She had never heard Amakata mention a previous relationship before, much less a serious one. Nor had she ever pegged the teacher for liking the rich, sophisticated type. Goro certainly didn't fit into that mold…

"Needless to say it didn't work out," Amakata continued. "In that sort of business you're in one day and out the next. Before long you become old news and people start looking for the next new thing. The contracts stop coming in, the calls cease. Popularity can be easy to obtain but hard to maintain and when that sort of things happens it isn't long before the company will drop you altogether. That's what happened to me." She sighed. "I tried looking for other work but nothing got through. In that sort of business everyone knows who's who. I didn't have the qualifications for other work either, not in the big city where there's so much other competition." She moved her shoulders. "So in the end I decided to move back to Iwatobi. It was my way of tucking my tail between my legs and fleeing back home when I couldn't make it. I lost my dream and when I did I came back here to lick my wounds."

"S-sorry," said Gou, not sure why she was apologizing but feeling like she should.

"Oh, no, dear, don't apologize." Amakata laughed. A real laugh this time. "I'll admit at the beginning losing my job and my boyfriend, it made me feel like my entire world had come to an end. To tell you the truth when I first moved back to Iwatobi I felt like I had made the biggest mistake of my life." She smiled. A full smile. "But if I hadn't done that I would never have gotten to be the teacher of those boys. I would never have gotten to advise the swim club. I would never have gotten to meet you or Nagisa or Rei. I would never have gotten to meet Goro." She bit her lip, fighting her way too large smile, looking for the entire world like a young school girl with her first crush.

"A-anyway the reason I'm telling you this is because while you may _think_ you've made a mistake that doesn't mean it has to be. It's what you make out of it afterwards that really matters. You might just end up finding that mistake was one of the best things that could have happened to you."

For a long moment Gou was silent, digesting that. "Are you trying to say that," she began hesitantly, "that the…the mistake I made was… _can_ be a good one?"

Still smiling, Amakata pushed herself off the counter. She smoothed the hair back out of Gou's tear-stained face. "Some mistakes you'll find, my dear, they're _worth_ making."

She straightened. "Well!" She clapped her hands. "I'm going to go make sure the boys are ready! We'll be leaving to see them off at the bus stop soon! Come out whenever you're ready, okay!"

And with that she disappeared beyond the door frame, leaving Gou alone in the bathroom with nothing but lights that were too bright and her thoughts for company. For a long moment Gou just sat there, staring at the tile floor and letting Amakata's words rattle around her head and heart.

She moved her hand to blow her nose and as she did so something caught the light. The pearl ring. She had almost forgotten about it. It was still on her right hand. Her right ring finger. She laughed a little, remembering the day she had switched it from her left hand to her right, after Seijuro had been so displeased seeing someone else's ring on her before he understood what it was, and after she had realized her mistake. And boy, what a mistake that had been!

She paused. Or had it been?

She stared at the ring on her hand. _Some mistakes,_ she remembered, _they're worth making._

She reached over. The ring glittered as she pulled it off her right hand, only to slide it once more onto the ring finger of her left one.

* * *

It was close to early afternoon by the time the boys left. Everyone saw them off, including Yuka, Yuko, and Hana, who had barely managed to make it in time.

"I've taught you everything I can!" For some reason Goro had tied his bandana around his head so he looked like some sort of ninja about to head into battle. "All that's left is for you to go out there and do your best!" He struck a fist in the air.

His enthusiasm was picked up by Nagisa, who mirrored his actions. "Fire!"

The other boys didn't move, standing there like frozen logs, much too preoccupied in staring at the large colorful banner being displayed to them than to acknowledge Goro's words.

"That banner is really embarrassing." Rei's eyes were nearly slits.

Makoto turned his head as a pair of women walked by, pointing at the banner and laughing underneath their breath. He began to sweat.

Haru's eyes widened as he caught sight of something. "That drawing."

"Oh!" Nagisa latched himself onto Haru's shoulder. "It's the one you drew, isn't it, Haru-chan?! Iwatobi-chan!"

"I didn't think it'd be used for this." Haru sounded like someone had desecrated a masterpiece of his.

Gou's hands tightened around the edge of the paper she held. So much for her banner going over well. She had worked hard on it, damnit! Seijuro had liked it when she had shown it to him! Clearly these guys had bad taste. "Anyway!" she said a little too loudly. "The rest of us will be heading up tomorrow morning. Make sure you get plenty of rest at the hotel near the venue!" Don't keep each other up in other words. _Maybe I should have gotten each of them their own hotel room_. But then... _Who am I kidding, that wouldn't have stopped them._ With their budget they couldn't afford such a thing anyway.

"Oh, the bus is here!" With a grunt of brakes and exhaust the bus pulled up behind them.

"Guess we'll be off then!" Makoto stooped down to pick up his bag. For a brief instant he met Gou's eyes. He winked at her. "Good luck."

She made a weird noise, looking away. "Y-you're the ones who need it! Try not to stay up too late! And don't eat _too_ much pocky on the way there!"

"That's only Nagisa you have to worry about."

"So mean, Haru-chan!"

She waved as they clambered on and a moment later the bus pulled away, taking the boys off to their destination. _Good luck, guys._ She wasn't worried though. They had worked so hard to get where they were. They were sure to do great.

With the Iwatobi boys safely on their way to the competition, those remaining turned to head back to the lodges. Allowing Yuko and Yuka to go a few paces ahead, Hana sidled up to Gou. "Sorry I wasn't able to make it earlier," she said. "Those hosting events can sure take up a lot of time. Is everything alright now though?"

"Everything's fine," said Gou, "but I need your help."

"My help?"

"For an operation."

Hana's brow furrowed. "An operation?"

Gou nodded. She fisted her hands. "Operation Get Seijuro Back!"

* * *

Seijuro was awoken by bright sunlight shining straight on his face. Glaring in through the window, the setting sun was casting blazing spikes of light to sear through the bus, one of them proceeding to shine right into his retinas. He shifted his position with a groan to save himself from going blind.

Sleeping on buses was so uncomfortable,despite how he had an entire row to himself. Yawning widely, he stretched up to peek over the seat.

Around him the bus was calm and peaceful. All the swimmers were talking softly amongst themselves or looking out windows or fiddling on cell phones or napping like Seijuro had been. _Good._ He settled back into his seat.

He had claimed the entire back row for himself upon boarding, leaving Nakagawa in charge so he could get some shut eye. He had had hardly slept at all last night.

Thinking of that, he leaned his head back, gaze drifting to the bus roof. Fleeing so early in the morning before Gou had awoken had been awfully cowardly of him. Even he could admit that, but he hadn't wanted to have that conversation. Not right now at least. Not with the competition literally twenty-four hours away. In order to win, he had to stay focused.

_Afterwards._ Then he would talk to Gou. He'd talk to her and things would come to their inevitable dismal end.

_Not that there was ever a beginning in the first place_. He really had been deluding himself with Gou. He realized that now. He had been digging for pearls all this time but all he had end up finding were empty barren shells. He had thought something had been there but he had been wrong. Maybe he had tricked himself into believing it because he had wanted it to be there, believed in things that didn't actually exist because he wanted it so much.

Like that conch shell. That conch shell Gou seemed so fond of and kept by her bedside. When you held that shell up to your ear you could hear the ocean. Seijuro had been the one who had told her about that. If you held it up to your ear you could hear the ocean, and if you closed your eyes you could see the ocean too. But no ocean existed in that tiny shell. It was simply something you believed in.

Maybe he had had his eyes shut this entire time too.

_Well, they're open now._

Once they got back to Japan he would give Gou the divorce she wanted. They would get a divorce and put everything to an end, and Seijuro would pretend to pretend like nothing had ever happened. Just like she wanted.

A movement drew his attention and he looked. Nakagawa stood next to the seat in front of him and Seijuro shuffled himself into a sitting position to make room for the other boy to sit.

"You'll have to make a decision now."

Seijuro didn't have to ask to know what Nakgawa was referring to. Matsuoka and the relay team, and whether or not he should allow the red head to compete or go against Matsuoka's wishes and remove him. He couldn't delay that inevitable situation anymore than he could the ending of his and Gou's relationship.

"We'll remove him."

Nakagawa nodded in acceptance. "Shall I be the one to tell him?"

Seijuro shook his head. "I'll do it." That was the captain's job, regardless of his feelings regarding matters that had to do with Matsuoka. Both Matsuokas. "Later tonight I'll tell him."

Doing it on the bus would be no good. If Matsuoka took it badly and caused a scene, like Seijuro imagined he would, it could negatively affect the rest of the swim team. Drop a rock in a pool and the ripples would eventually encompass all of it. It would be best to let Matsuoka know about his removal once Seijuro got a chance to talk to him privately.

"Alright." Nakagawa reached into his pocket and withdrew a piece of folded up paper. A list of all the Samezuka swimmers. He handed it to Seijuro. "Who would you like to put in his place?"

Seijuro's eyes went down the list. Who could he put in that would be capable of winning, he pondered. Who would insure a victory? Who was it in Samezuka that sought victory over everything else? Or, more to the point, who was capable of beating Iwatobi? Who, he wondered, could beat Nanase?

Down, down the list of names his gaze went, looking at a name and then discarding it a half second later. _He won't do, he won't do._ Then he came upon a name and froze. The letters stood out starkly against the white sheet.

This person. This was the only person on the list that fit the description of the person he needed...

But could he do it?

"So," Nakagawa said after a moment had passed without an answer. "Have you decided on someone?"

"Mmm." Seijuro raised his head.

"Who will be taking Matsuoka's place then?"

Seijuro hardened his resolve. Winning, after all, was what was most important.

He crumpled the paper in his hand. "I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I changed a few things from canon but this is an AU, right?! Eh-heh. This chapter turned out way wordier than I imagined it to be so my apologies. I promise next chapter will have a bit more action to it.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has commented, left kudos, or bookmarked!


	31. Truth Redux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's not talk about how many rewrites this went through (so, so many...)
> 
> Anyway, it's finally, finally done! *lies down forever*

Seijuro had never, and didn't believe he _would_ ever, call himself a kind-hearted person. He didn't think he was cruel or mean-spirited — he had never gone out of his way to hurt anyone and there was no one he actively disliked – but he did not consider himself a particularly kind individual either.

There were times, for example, when he didn't mince words. There were times when he didn't spare feelings. Sometimes he could be so straight forward it could almost be considered cruel.

Seijuro didn't believe in handling everything with kid gloves and sometimes, he had come to learn, people wouldn't accept a situation until they were told the harsh truth.

When Matsuoka, after Seijuro had finally managed to pull him aside upon the boy's late return from wherever it is he had stepped out to, demanded to know why Seijuro had decided to remove him from the relay, Seijuro told him the truth.

"You haven't paid any attention to your own relay team." He turned to look at the other boy directly. "You're focused on something else."

By the look on Matsuoka's face and the stunned silence that followed, it was a truth that maybe he himself hadn't even known. People will often forget or simply fail to realize what they do in fact have when they become so utterly fixated on one thing. That is until they lose whatever it is they do have. Maybe Matsuoka was starting to realize that as well.

"I'm sending our best members out there," Seijuro said without waiting for a response. "That's what a team should do." He straightened from leaning against the wall. "Right now you…you are not at your best condition."

It was a harsh truth. It was a very harsh truth, but it was one Matsuoka needed to hear.

"You can focus on the 100m free tomorrow." _That_ race Seijuro couldn't remove him from. Matsuoka would _have_ to compete no matter what. Even if his heart was no longer in it.

"You can't," Matsuoka began, words barely audible, but he stopped there.

It seemed that despite everything Matsuoka still wasn't quite daring or foolish enough to challenge his authority. That part, at least, was good. It would make things a lot easier. The last thing Seijuro needed was to get into an altercation with the brother of the girl he liked. Even if she didn't like him.

"I'll see you in the morning." He left for his own room without waiting for the other to find his voice. There was nothing left to talk about anyway. Seijuro had made his decision. Matsuoka was no longer capable of winning and Seijuro wasn't about to let him drag down the rest of the team as well.

Because winning was what was most important.

Seijuro planned to do just that.

* * *

The stadium was packed the next morning. So packed that, despite the stadium's massive size, seating was becoming a scarce commodity. By the time everyone sat down there was likely not going to be an empty seat in the house.

_So many people._ Gou stood on her tip toes to survey the area around her. Hopefully they would be able to find some seats, otherwise they were going to be stuck standing the whole time. _And hopefully the boys' don't get stage fright._ She had expected more people would show up for this event than the last one, of course, but not _this_ many people. It was like the whole town had shown up to watch.

Not seeing any seats in sight, she looked back over her shoulder. The boys had not shown up yet, not that she and the others had arrived much earlier either. Getting motivated this morning had been hard, especially for Gou and Hana. They had stayed up late last night to take care of some crucial things.

Like the new banner for instance! Since it was the boys' last big competition before they headed home it deserved some extra effort and so Gou had gone the extra mile to make a new one. _They had better appreciate this one!_ She had made this one less colorful and also left out any of Haru's drawings so he wouldn't act like he was being personally oppressed. She had attempted to draw her own Iwatobi-chan instead, although Hana's less than flattering comment about Gou's art skills had been a little disparaging. _Clearly Hana has no idea how to appreciate good craftsmanship._ She had been buying those awful dolls for example.

Then the other reason they had stayed up late…

She glanced over to where the Samezuka team had taken their seats. The swim team must have arrived early to get all those seats together for they took up almost an entire section alone. Seijuro hadn't made an appearance in the stands but it was likely he had already gone below to prepare for the preliminary ceremonies. He wouldn't come up to join the rest of his swim team until the free races began.

_I still have some time yet._ She tightened her hands. It would be after that, after the free races and before the relay competition started, that she would put her plan into motion. She shook her head with a grimace. Thinking about it now was only going to give her stomach cramps. There was still a while before that happened and there were other things in the mean time she had to focus on.

Like the free race! Her brother was competing after all! There was no way she was going to miss that.

_Even if he has been a real pill lately._ Last night, when he had texted her suddenly out of the blue saying there was something he needed to ask her, she had thought that he must have become remorseful and was going to apologize. The guilt had finally got to him and he had been unable to sleep because of it clearly, and he had finally built up enough nerve to text her about it. If there was one thing Rin hated to do it was admit when he was wrong, but he always did eventually. So Gou had waited on pins and needles for the forthcoming apology text to come. When her phone had finally dinged its ugly little sound, she had hit the read button with the conviction of a mad man.

'Can you give me Rei's number'.

_That little…_ She had resisted the urge, barely, to smash her phone against the wall.

Regardless she had still provided Rin with the number. Why he wanted to talk to Rei of all people she had no idea. The two had hardly ever had any interaction with each other as far as she was aware, much less one-on-one interaction, but she knew better than to ask about it. Prying into whatever it was Rin was trying to do with Rei would only cause him to back out of it completely, and even if Rei seemed like an unlikely candidate for him to open up to at least he was talking to _someone._ Maybe Rei would be able to help him in someway. She had no idea how but maybe…

"Oh, good," said Goro next to her, jerking Gou back into reality, "there they are."

Almost as if on queue the boys had appeared at the top of the steps. They had finally shown up. Not that that they had minds or eyes for anything but the giant pool spread out before them. The whole lot of them were standing there with their mouths wide open.

Gou went over to break them out of their H2O stupor. "Good morning!"

"Morning!" The greeting was returned by Nagisa, Makoto and Rei. Haru was far too busy peering around himself to acknowledge her properly. He had to be looking for Rin _._ _He's going to be looking for a while then_. She hadn't seen her brother at all. He must have gone below with the other Samezuka competitors.

"It's about time you arrived," Goro scolded. "The opening preliminaries will be starting soon, you know. You're late."

"Sorry, Goro-chan! We…stayed up a little too late last night, you see!" Nagisa's laugh was a little strained.

"That is _not_ something I need to know about," Goro decreed.

"We weren't doing _that_ , Goro-chan!"

As the two were distracted bickering with one another, Gou leaned in close to Rei. "Did something happen with my brother last night?" she whispered behind a hand.

He straightened, as if surprised she knew about it. Rin must not have told him how he managed to get a hold of his number. _Figures._

"Uhhh, no." He glanced away. "We just agreed to both do our best today."

She was about to ask what _that_ meant – there was no way Rin would bother both him and her in the middle of the night for something as miniscule as _that –_ when Hana walked up. "We found seats for everyone!"

_Oh, good._ Now they wouldn't have to stand the entire time.

"Let's get going then!" Goro turned to head down to their aforementioned seats. "We don't have much time before the free races start!"

_The free races._ Time was ticking by faster than Gou would have liked. It wouldn't be long now. Then she would have to confront Seijuro. She clutched the schedule in her hand.

Next to her – too caught up in her own emotional dilemma to pay much attention – she vaguely heard Makoto say, "If we win today, we head to nationals."

"Can we win?" followed Nagisa's equally as quiet response.

"Hey!" Goro's sudden exclamation made them all jump. He was even using one of those paper megaphones meant for birthday parties to amplify his voice. Amakata had bought them so they could cheer on the boys with. "Don't wuss out now!" he bellowed. "Stop worrying about the outcome!"

He was talking to the boys, and while Gou was well aware of this, she couldn't help but pretend he was talking about her and her current situation. _Don't worry about the outcome, huh?_ She nodded sagely to herself. If she worried too much about the outcome she wouldn't be able to even get to it. Whatever happened happened and she would deal with it once she got to it. The important part right now was simply getting to it.

"Just be free!"

She wasn't entirely certain how that applied to her current situation but it sure sounded like good advice!

"Swim to your hearts' content! Swim so you have no regrets!"

_Yes, yes!_ Gou fisted her hands. Goro was right! Well, not about the swimming, at least not for her, but making sure she had no regrets. Even if Seijuro ended up rejecting her…well, at least she had tried! It would hurt but if she didn't say anything to him then she would _really_ regret it. Trying and failing was better than never having tried at all!

The boys seemed to agree with her, as they chorused out, "Yes!" to Goro's speech. It had apparently inspired them too. They no longer looked nervous and overwhelmed but determined and excited.

Gou still ended up standing along the railing with Hana, Yuko, and Yuka despite Hana having found seats for them. Sitting made it almost impossible for them to see the entirety of the swimmers for the opening ceremonies whilst they stood at the front of the pool and Gou was too ramped up to sit properly anyway. Her antsy constantly moving legs would have only annoyed everyone.

All the competitive swimmers lined up together at the front of the pool, as overhead the speakers crackled into life, a speech following from some official or other about the race. Seeing all the competing schools standing lined up together sure made Iwatobi seem so small and insignificant though. Their small amount of members standing there in the sea of other much larger schools made it look like they were just lucky to be there. Other schools had numbers of competing members nearly in the twenties.

Like the German school. Gou recognized a face or two among the sea of blue jerseys they stood in. There were so many of them it was almost like they were hosting a competition simply amongst themselves. She had never realized they were that good _. Must be because of the training camp._ She gave herself a mental pat on the back for that one.

It didn't take long for her to spot the other swim team she was looking for. They were easily recognizable by their telltale black jersey with its red and white accents and how they stood in the very center of the large swimmer group like this show was all about them.

"There's Mikoshiba-san." Hana pointed.

Gou had already caught sight of him. Standing at the very front of the Samezuka group, he was easy to spot by his flaming red hair and height, and just seeing him alone made Gou's heart attempt to do a reenactment of a mariachi band inside her chest. It hadn't been very long at all since she had last seen or spoken to him, but seeing him once more now made her realize how much she had _missed_ him. She had grown so used to seeing and speaking with him every day.

Still, regardless of her own happy feelings, there seemed to be something off about him and after a moment she realized. There was no expression on his face. His visage was blank, severe almost in its stiffness. It was a far cry from his usual countenance, and an even further one from the happy exuberance he had displayed at the first round of competition when he had yelled out her name.

"Where's your brother?"

Gou started at Hana's words. She had been so caught up in looking at Seijuro she hadn't thought to look for her brother yet. "O-oh. He's uhh—" She stopped.

If Seijuro was expressionless and stiff, then Rin was simply downtrodden. Being as far away as she was even Gou could recognize that. His eyes looked blankly ahead and down, and while he wasn't exactly frowning, he definitely wasn't smiling either. Seeing him like he was, Gou might have thought he had already raced and lost if she didn't know any better. Normally nothing ever got Rin as fired up as racing did, but for some reason today he just looked like he didn't want to be there at all. _What the heck is going on?_

The opening preliminaries didn't last too long and the swim teams soon dispersed for the free races to commence. The Samezuka members filed into their seats amongst the stands and among them was Seijuro. He took a seat at the end of a row near the back.

_Good._ Everything was going according to plan. Gou and the other girls would watch Rin race and then after that, before the relay started, she and the other girls would pull Seijuro out of the Samezuka crowd. Gou had it all planned out perfectly. Yuka or Yuko, preferably Yuka as _she_ hadn't made any comments about Seijuro's good looks, would be the one to retrieve him. Because, while Rin didn't know Yuko or Yuka, Seijuro _did._ Even if her brother came up to the stands right after his race there was no reason for him to suspect anything if one of those two girls pulled Seijuro aside. With a bit of luck Seijuro would follow without questioning and Gou would be able to talk to him in private.

_A bit of luck._ She tensed her hands. In retrospect she might need a lot of it.

Rin's race wasn't until the third heat of the free event. Gou remained standing with the other girls for a better view, allowing the boys to take her seat as she watched the first and second heat with mild interest. Finally the third heat rolled around.

"It's Rin-chan's turn!" Nagisa pointed.

"Yes," Haru agreed. His tone was unusually upbeat, like he was looking forward to seeing Rin race as well.

Under different circumstances Gou might have paid more attention to it, but she was too preoccupied yelling out her own encouragement. "You can do it, big brother!"

The swimmers lined up along their starting blocks. "Set!" said the loudspeakers. The whistle sounded. The swimmers dove in.

"He had a late start?!"

Makoto's voice came from behind Gou and for a second she had no idea what he was talking about until all the swimmers were underneath the water. Rin had started out late. Only a few seconds but he was already behind.

"He'll make up for it on the turn," said Haru, still upbeat like he expected the best out of Rin.

Across the way Samezuka was chanting their cheer. They were using the same megaphones as Iwatobi. Only red, like their school colors. Nitori was cheering notably louder than the others.

The swimmers made the turn, passing onto the second and final leg of the race. Yet Rin didn't close the gap. Not even close. If anything it had only widened further.

"Rin…" Haru's voice was much quieter now.

"Is something wrong with him?" asked Makoto.

_There is definitely something wrong._ Gou clutched the edge of the railing tighter. To her right Samezuka was still cheering, "Last spurt, last spurt, last spurt!" She glanced over to the bobbing red megaphones. Seijuro wasn't using one. He wasn't cheering either. He sat in silence, his expression solemn, like he had expected this.

The race came to a floundering end. Rin was so far behind some of the swimmers were already climbing out before he touched the wall. He surfaced panting and wheezing, as if the race had drained the very last out of him.

"What exactly happened to Rin?" asked Goro. "That doesn't seem like him."

"Brother…"From this distance Gou was unable to discern if the sounds coming from Rin were coughing or sobbing. Maybe a bit of both.

This was not the swimmer from the last competition. Not the swimmer who had beaten Haru and oozed triumph, the one with his shark-tooth rip-current smile and salt water temperament. This swimmer wasn't triumphant nor smiling. This swimmer couldn't even lift himself out of the pool without falling in several times.

Haru suddenly shot to his feet. Without a word to anyone he made a running beeline for the exit.

"Haru!" It didn't take long for Makoto to follow after him and within a second Nagisa and Rei had joined him. "We're coming too!"

"Where do you suppose they're going?" Yuka asked of the four running off boys.

"The bathroom?" suggested Yuko.

_That's not right._ If they were going anywhere they were going after her brother. After what had happened in the race… Gou had never seen Haru run with such urgency before.

"Looks like Mikoshiba-san is leaving too," said Yuka suddenly and Gou quickly jerked in that direction. Several Samezuka members were heading for the exit to head down below. One of them was Seijuro.

_What the…_ What was _he_ doing heading down below already? His race wasn't for a long while yet. She knew because she had formulated her plan around that. Was he going down just to make sure everything was in order and offer encouragement?

_Damnit!_ If Seijuro stayed down below for too long her whole plan would fall apart. _He's going to ruin everything!_

"Gou! Look at this!" Hana thrust a piece of paper at her, pointing a finger repeatedly at one spot. It was the pamphlet for today's races. Gou had looked over it briefly upon arrival but hadn't paid too much attention to it. She already knew when all the races were and who would be competing in them.

Why was Hana bringing this up _now_? Couldn't she see they were in a crisis?

"What does this have to do with anyth—" She stopped. She squinted at the place Hana indicated.

The relay line ups. They had been changed. Or more pointedly Samezuka's line up had been changed. Her brother's name had been removed. And in its place was…

_Seijuro's_.

For a moment she could hardly breathe. Seijuro had removed her brother. He had removed her brother and entered himself instead.

She raised her head to look at the exit Seijuro had disappeared through. He must have made the change last night. Maybe even as late as after her brother had texted her. Otherwise she would have heard about it in some form or another. Of all the people competing against her swim team, it was going to be him.

"Who do you want to go after?" asked Hana.

Gou turned to look at her.

"Your brother?"

That was right. Gou's initial plan was no good now. With Seijuro sswimming in the relay she would only have time to go after one of the two boys before the race started.

_In that case…_ She crumpled the paper with its declaration of relay names in her hand."Brother will be fine. Haruka-senpai and the others will take care of him." Out of everyone they would be the best at knowing how to handle her brother and his situation. She had always believed that. Nothing had changed that.

And besides, right now she had more important things to deal with.

"We're going after Seijuro."

* * *

They made their way down to the locker rooms. It was easy to find by the multitude of other swimmers making their way there as well and so they mostly just followed the crowd of jerseys through the halls. They searched for Seijuro as they went but no one saw him nor a single other Samezuka jersey.

"Did they go below already?" asked Hana.

They must have. Gou arched on her toes to see over the crowd, searching for Seijuro's tall frame, but she saw no one that matched his description. He must have been walking fast. With his long legs he already did have quite a fast pace but this was ridiculous.

They made it all the way to the entrance of the locker rooms without seeing him. "Are we going to go down there?" Yuka sounded more excited than wary as she gestured down the stairs.

"We have to!" compelled Hana. "Mikoshiba-san might leave otherwise!"

"But boys get _naked_ in the locker room." Yuko whispered the protest like it were some sort of secret. "We can't go down there!"

"We have to," said Gou. Naked boys or not, she wasn't about to let something like this stop her. They would have to go into the locker room. Taking a deep breath she took a step forward.

"Miss, miss!" Three men dressed in some sort of uniform immediately came over to block her path. By the looks of the handcuffs and flashlight on their belts they had to be some sort of security guard. "I'm sorry, miss," said one of them, "but I'm afraid you can't go down there."

Gou had never anticipated security actually _guarding_ the locker room. What were they possibly guarding against, crazed fangirls? Then again here she was trying to go down there where boys got naked to harass one of them…

"I—I just need to talk to somebody real quick. It'll only take a second."

The guards didn't budge. "I'm sorry, miss, but it is a restricted area."

"Ah, come on!" Hana stepped up next to Gou. "We just need to talk to one of the swimmers really quickly. Can't you make an exception?"

"It's a bit of an emergency, you see!" chimed in Yuka.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to go down there."

"Why the heck not?! We just need to talk to him!"

"It'll only be a moment!"

"I have money!" blurted Yuko.

As the girls argued with the three men, Gou leaned to peer around them. Down the hall she couldn't see Seijuro at all. He had already gone far below. Very shortly he would be at the pool. Then she would never be able to get close to him.

She fisted her hands. This was her only chance! She wasn't about to let something superficial like the law stand in her way.

"That's my husband down there, damnit!" She shoved the guard in front of her. "Now get the hell out of my way!"

* * *

"Man, I wonder what happened with Matsuoka." Noro stretched his arms above his head, tilting first one way than the one to loosen his back muscles in front of the changing lockers. He had forgotten to put his swim suit on. "I knew he was having a hard time but not _that_ bad. That was pretty painful to watch. I wonder what happened."

Seijuro grunted in response. Removing Matsuoka had definitely been the smart and the right thing to do. He could see that for certain now, not that it made him feel any better about it. He frowned at the blue lockers in front of him.

"But man, am I excited!" exclaimed Noro. Poor word choice for someone who was currently fully nude. "We're going to be swimming in a relay together! That's so awesome!" He looked at Seijuro with such delight he sort of resembled a My Little Pony character Seijuro had caught his sister watching once or twice. "I can't believe I get to swim with you, captain! I'm so…so, so happy…" He dissolved into sniffles.

"Don't cry, Noro," said Ueda. "And for the love of God put some pants on. We're racing, not going to an onsen."

"I-I'm not crying!" Noro wiped a hand across his nose. "A-anyway I'm sort of surprised you would enter the relay, captain," he continued in a more normal tone. "You never seemed interested in participating before."

That was true. Solo races had always been more Seijuro's style. Normally he was happy to leave the relay race to the other talented team members of Samezuka but now, against someone like Haru and Iwatobi who they had already lost once to, what choice did he have? "I am only hoping to insure a victory," he said. "That's all."

The simple response brought a laugh from Noro and Ueda an approving smirk. "I wouldn't expect anything less from our captain," said Ueda, tossing his goggles over his shoulder and heading off along with Kawamura to the pool.

_Indeed._ That was what being a captain was all about. Delivering victories. Anything else was strictly secondary.

A group of swimmers walked by, chattering in a language he vaguely recognized. He glanced up. The German swimmers who had joined in on the training camp. They were competing in the relay too apparently. Gou's little adopted team.

The thought of the Iwatobi manager made him cringe. It wouldn't be long now before she found out what he had done, if she didn't know already. Although he hadn't received any angry text messages from her nor had she tracked him down demanding to know why he had done it. She must not know yet.

_Well, she'll know soon enough._ If Seijuro was truly lucky he'd be able to escape before she had a chance to hunt him down and yell at him.

Noro finally managed to get dressed and together they moved down the hall to head to the pool. "I sure hope they're filming this." Noro picked at a knot in his goggle straps. "I bet it's going to be one heck of a race."

Seijuro thought of Haru and the rest of the Iwatobi swimmers. "It will be," he agreed, "but so long as we stay focused we'll definitely win for sure and then—"

"Seijuro!"

He froze. His eyes widened. _Oh, no._ He had heard that voice before. Many, many times before. Everyday for the past three months he had heard that voice. _I'm a dead man._ Slowly he glanced over his shoulder.

Gou. She stood on the path that lead down to the lockers. Her hair was wild and frazzled, like she had been running through the woods or fighting or something, and she was looking animatedly around herself, searching the crowd of swimmers in the hall. Behind her stood Hana and the two other debate team girls, and for some reason a couple of aggravated looking security guards.

_Shit._ Guess he wasn't so lucky after all. She had come all the way down here to yell at him? And she had brought reinforcements too? She had to be really, _really_ mad.

He turned to flee. "T-time to go."

"Huh?!" Noro gaped between him and Gou. "B—but isn't that, uhhhh—"

"Seijuro!" Gou's yell came more imploring this time. She must have caught sight of him. "Seijuro, wait!"

_Hell no._ He swallowed. He could feel himself starting to sweat. She was going to kill him.

"Damnit!" he heard her curse behind him.

Good _._ Hopefully she wouldn't be able to catch him. He had much longer legs than her and he should be able to outrun her. Once he got to the pool he would be safe and—

Something hard smacked into the back of his head. "Ow!" He blinked rapidly, hissing at the pain. What the hell had that been? He glanced downwards to the missile. A shoe. A girl's shoe. Gou's shoe to be exact. He turned accusingly. "What the hell?!"

"I said wait, you ass!"

"First you throw your shoe at me and _then_ you insult me?!"

"Well, it got you to stop didn't it?!" She hobbled over to him.

He still bent down handed her back her missile shoe. "What _the hell_ are you even trying to do?"

Across her face flickered something he wasn't sure how to describe. For a moment she hesitated then she opened her mouth, but before she had a chance to answer one of the security guards suddenly came over to them. "Sir, are you this woman's husband?"

For a moment Seijuro didn't know how to respond to that. "Uhhh…" There was no way the guard would know something like their marriage offhand. Which meant Gou had actually told him about it?

His gaze slid over to her. She was giving him a pleading look, still clutching onto her shoe like it were a favorite teddy bear of her's rather than a dirty piece of footwear.

"H—husband?" Noro squeaked.

_Shit._ Seijuro had forgotten the other boy was there. And now he had heard about the marriage. But then…Gou didn't seem very concerned whatsoever about the other boy's presence. She hadn't glanced Noro's way at all.

Seijuro brought his attention back to the guard. "Yes, I'm her husband."

The guard didn't seem convinced by this. Not that Seijuro could blame him. What kind of idiot made up a story about two teenagers who were virtual strangers marrying each other? No one would believe that.

Something caught his eye and he snatched Gou's wrist. He held up her left hand. The ring sparkled from around her ring finger. "See?"

The guard still didn't look convinced. "Where's your ring then?"

"I don't wear it when I compete." That was…sort of true. He didn't have a ring so of course he wouldn't wear it while he raced.

The guard frowned. "Alright," he conceded after a moment. "But don't take too long! Non-competitors aren't supposed to be down here."

"Of course."

The guards departed to wait at the entrance and Seijuro took Gou aside, leaving a very befuddled Noro in the hands of Hana and the other girls to distract. He was pretty sure Noro wouldn't mind that.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed once he got Gou to the side. "You could have gotten arrested for that!"

"I know that, damn it!" She blew air through her teeth. "B—but it couldn't wait! I had to tell you something!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You invaded a boys' locker room in the midst of a huge competition and risked possible imprisonment _just_ to tell me something?"

His tone must have bugged her, for she shot him a dark glare. "Yes! It's important, damn it! Don't be an ass!"

"I'm not! But what would you have done if you had gone _to jail,_ huh?"

"Joined a gang?" she suggested. "I don't know! Who cares, that isn't what's important!"

Seijuro had a hard time believing _that_ wasn't important but well, if she insisted. "Fine. What is it then?" If she told him something like 'I left the stove on' or 'I lost my key, can I borrow yours' he was going to walk away, jump in the pool, and just sit there for a while.

She straightened. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, struggling it seemed to get the words out. Across her face red was starting to bloom. "It—It isn't so bad."

Seijuro tilted his head. "Huh?"

"I—I mean being married to you," she clarified. Her face was red as a tomato. Her gaze darted all around the room, looking anywhere than directly at him. "It isn't so bad."

Seijuro stared at her.

"I—I mean the situation was horrible," she continued when he didn't respond right away. "At times it was. Because of my brother and everything, I mean, and it wasn't like we had exactly planned any of this. Waking up one morning to find out you had gotten drunk and married someone you barely know…I mean who does that, right?" She laughed awkwardly.

Seijuro didn't laugh with her. He stared at her like she was speaking in a language he didn't recognize.

"A—anyway, even though we ended up creating a pretty horrible situation, not just for ourselves but for everyone else as well, despite all that, you...being with you that is." She coughed like something were clogged in her throat. "That was never horrible."

Seijuro's brain was having a hard time functioning. "But you—" What was she trying to say here exactly? He had no idea what was going on. "I thought you wanted to forget everything? Isn't that what you wanted? You wanted to pretend like it never happened."

She made an exasperated noise, eyes rolling to the ceiling as if reminded about something stupid she had done. "I didn't mean it like _that_ when I said it! I meant forget about my stupid drunken mistake and all the chaos it caused. I didn't mean forget about _you_! How could I? _Why_ would I?" She finally looked at him directly. "You've been the best part about this whole thing."

For a long moment Seijuro couldn't bring himself to respond to this. His thought processes seemed to be short circuiting. "Are you saying that…" He couldn't finish the thought.

Somehow Gou seemed to pick up on what he was getting at regardless. "I just don't want our relationship to be defined by a piece of paper," she said. "I want us to be together because we want to be, not because we _have_ to be. I don't want our relationship to be based off one mistake."

_Relationship._ That word rushed in like a current and he felt a sudden urgency. The same sort of feeling he got when he was about to win a race he hadn't thought he would be able to. _Do something, idiot!_ If he didn't do something now he might miss an opportunity that he may never get again. "It doesn't have to be," he said. "We can make it whatever we want it to be."

Gou smiled. For some reason she looked relieved at hearing him say that.

"What we did at the beginning, _that_ may have been a mistake," he continued, "but I don't think anything else afterwards was. Everything that happened afterwards was because I wanted to be with you, not because I felt like I had to be. I never felt like that, and whether we decide to get divorced or stay married or…or whatever, I don't care. I mean so long as I get to be with you that is. That's all I want. I was always glad to be with you and I…" He worked his jaw. The words were getting stuck in his throat. He had been waiting to say them for so long and now that the moment was here he was getting tongue tied. His face was starting to heat up. He forced himself to speak, heartbeat drumming in his ears. "I want to continue being with you. Even after we leave here. Even when we get back home. I don't want to pretend like nothing ever happened."

Fuck, that sounded lame. She was probably going to laugh at him again. But Gou didn't laugh. Instead she bit her lip. No response was forth coming.

Had he said too much? Maybe he had been completely wrong and totally misread the signs, and she was trying to think of a way to let him down gently.

It was only until a second later that he noticed she was biting her lip in an effort to fight the smile that threatened to encompass her whole face.

"I don't want to pretend like nothing ever happened either." Her hands clutched self-consciously at her hair. "Even if the marriage did start out a mistake, what happened afterwards – what _became_ from it - that wasn't. In the end I think that's what truly matters and when I think about it that way, I'm really…glad it happened."

_Really glad it happened._

Seijuro closed his eyes. He made a soft sound of amusement, a smile creeping up on him as well.

This was the last thing he had expected. The _very_ last thing. He had given up, truthfully, but now…

Maybe rather than finding a pearl they had managed to somehow create one instead. All pearls only start out as one tiny annoying little grain of sand after all. It was what happened afterwards that truly made them truly magical.

"Captain!"

The sudden distressed calling of Noro made Seijuro turn. Maybe the girls were trying to remove his swimsuit or maybe he was trying to get them to.

Noro pointed frantically down the hall. "The relay race!"

_Shit._ The relay race! He had nearly forgotten about it. It was starting. He turned back to Gou. "We'll talk more later," he promised her.

She nodded. "Okay," she said. "Good luck."

The words made Seijuro stiffen. Out of all the things she could have said she had to say _that. Damnit._ He had to tell her now. And truthfully he wanted to tell her. The truth that is. The whole truth. All the time even if she would get mad about it.

"I removed your brother from the relay team."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"The relay team," he repeated. "I removed Rin from it. It was me." He grimaced, waiting for her sure to be less than approving response.

"Oh," said Gou. "I already know about that."

That…was not the reaction he had anticipated. "You're not…mad about it?"

"Well, I'm not _happy_ about it," she admitted. She shrugged. "But I understand. You have to do what's best for your swim team. No one can blame you for that. Winning is what's most important."

"Ah," said Seijuro. Boy, that was a relief. He wasn't going to get dumped after two whole seconds of being with her and he wasn't going to get smacked either. Although the way Gou said that last part, it sounded almost sad.

The security guards approached intent on escorting the girls back upstairs. It was time to go. "I'll see you later," said Gou.

"Alright." He lingered to watch them go and as Hana passed him she shot him a grin and a thumbs up, making Gou turn bright red and scold her for it. The two other girls scuttled past, giggling behind their hands and unable to meet his eyes.

"Captain." Noro appeared next to him, positively frazzled. "Captain, what the heck is going on?" He gestured up the stairs. " _Who_ was that?"

With the girls now headed up the stairs, Seijuro turned to head towards the pool and the race that awaited him. He smiled.

"My wife."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! It finally happened! *throws confetti* This was so hard to write, good lord, but hopefully it turned out alright considering how long it's taken!
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has commented, left kudos, and boomarked, especially to those who have stuck around since the beginning! It really means a lot to me that anyone has taken an interest in this fic, with it being so long, the long time between updates sometimes, and it being word vomit. The kind words and encouragement really mean a lot to me and I appreciate everyone sticking around for this ungodly long fic! Thank you so much!
> 
> I am guesstimating 3-4 chapters left, but I am horrible at guessing so this is probably wrong haha.


	32. Loss Redux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's not talk about how long this update took...
> 
> It seems like the closer I get to finishing this fic the harder it becomes to write haha.

Despite not taking long to leave the locker room they still had to run to make the relay event in time.

"Looks like things went well with Mikoshiba-san!" Regardless of their hurried flight Hana still managed to somehow find the energy and breath to yell to Gou. "Did you guys work everything out?"

"Yes!"

"So does that mean you two are…?"

"Yes!" Gou tried to ignore the heat developing in her cheeks. "I—I think so anyway!" Seijuro and her hadn't exactly defined their relationship yet, but there was time later for that. They had all the time in the world now.

Hana's "Whoop!" was much too loud for the hallway they were in. "It's about time!"

Gou's face flamed. "Stop talking and focus on running! The relay's about to start!" Down the hall the loud speaker echoed to them. The swimmers would be gathering by the pool side now, waiting to move to their starting blocks. If they didn't hurry they would miss the backstroke leg of the relay, and that was something Gou would _never_ forgive herself for if she missed Makoto swimming.

"Finally!" Goro huffed when they finally appeared at their seats. "The race is about to start, you know! If you had taken any longer the boys would have been disqualified."

"H—huh?" Gou panted. "What are you talking about? What about the boys?"

Amakata leaned around Goro. "Weren't the boys with you?" she asked. "We thought they might have been as they haven't shown up yet."

" _What_?!" Gou threw herself at the railing. Down below the relay teams were gathered up in the queue. And Iwatobi was notably absent from among them.

_What the hell are they doing?!_ They still hadn't shown up yet? Were they still trying to find her brother _,_ or had something bad happened between them once they had found him, like a fight or something? With all the tension that existed between her brother and Haru it didn't take that far of a stretch of the imagination to envision them in a fight, rolling around on the ground together locked in each other's embrace. But in a fighting way. Or maybe both. It was so hard to tell when it came to those two. Maybe Makoto would join in as well.

Overhead the speaker announced: "Men's medley relay, heat one."

"Shit," said Goro in a very unprofessional sort of way. "It's already starting."

The teams began moving to the starting blocks. They passed by the official as they did so, performing the final check for their teams. If Iwatobi still hadn't shown up by the time the last swimmer passed by that official then it would be over for them. They would be disqualified and that would be it. Everything they had tried to do this summer, even _before_ this summer, would all be wasted. Her brother wasn't worth being disqualified over!

Then she saw them. "There they are!"

Haru came running out first. Straight across the tile floor, right up to meet the official himself. It was an unusual thing for him to do. Typically those sorts of interactions he always left for Makoto to handle, but there he was issuing in their arrival, and right behind him came Makoto and Nagisa.

"Looks like they made it in time." Amakata pressed a hand over her heart, inhaling deeply.

"Thank goodness." Gou collapsed more than sat down in her seat. That had been close. _Too_ close. They needed this achievement and that money too. Their club may not survive another year, much less two, without it. Not with winter around the corner. If they couldn't rent a pool for that time and lost all that practice time than it was sure to make any future winnings a rare commodity.

They had to win this. They couldn't afford to lose. They _had_ to win.

"Oh." Amakata leaned forward. She tilted her head to the side, staring at the swim teams below. "Is that…Mikoshiba-san?"

"Huh?" Goro arched up to look. "What the hell? That _is_ Mikoshiba. Why is he competing in the relay? He wasn't in the last round."

Neither of the adults had read the pamphlet either it seemed. "He's competing in this round," said Gou. "He made the change to their line up last night."

"Last night? Why?"

"He wants to win."

Goro's gaze was probing, but Gou pretended not to notice and after a moment he turned away. "Well, that's just how racing goes I suppose." He rubbed his chin. "Although this is going to make things a lot more difficult for us," he grumbled.

He was right. The biggest obstacle Iwatobi would be facing was none other than the swim team the man she was married to belonged to. Not that that mattered when it came to racing. There was no room for marriage or personal feelings in the lanes down there. What mattered was winning. That was what was most important. If you didn't win then what was the point?

Her gaze traveled a few rows down to the Samezuka team. Seijuro stood at the back of their line up. Which meant he would be taking the last leg of the race. The free portion. He would be going up against Haru.

Her hands tightened on her knees. Haru was an extremely gifted and a superb swimmer, of that there was no doubt, but so was Seijuro. He had more than a fair number of impressive wins under his belt and he had set that record during the first round of the competition, not to mention he was the captain of a well known and well renowned swimming team. You didn't get to be a captain of something like that by being a poor or average swimmer. If there was anyone besides her brother who could rival Haru, it was definitely Seijuro.

_All we need is one-tenth of a second._ Just one-tenth of a second. Just one-tenth of a second faster and they would win.

"Men's medley relay, heat one," the speaker announced again. It was time.

Down below Makoto moved towards the water. He slapped his cheeks as if bringing himself fully into focus.

"Makoto!" Goro yelled out.

"Makoto-senpai!" Gou added her own voice.

The backstroke swimmers got into their starting positions, clinging to the pool wall. It had always been a funny position to Gou, forcing her to hide her giggles on several occasions lest Makoto think she was making fun of him. She wasn't laughing right now however.

A few tense seconds ticked by. Gou could feel her heart in her throat. If the buzzer didn't ring soon she was going to have a heart attack and sue—

The buzzer rang out. It nearly gave Gou a heart attack. The backstroke swimmers launched themselves backwards off the pool wall.

"Go, go, go!" Goro lead them in their cheer, using the megaphone for its intended purpose this time. "Go, go, go, Makoto!"

"Go, go, go, go, Makoto!" Even Yuko and Yuka were chanting. Hana was shouting so loud Gou was alarmed she might bust a vocal cord.

As Makoto swam his trade mark rough stroke seemed to steadily smooth out. It became serene, tranquil almost, like he was basking in a wide calm sunlit ocean rather than competing in a huge event, and Gou's cheering tapered to an end. She had never realized but watching Makoto swim before had sometimes made it seem like he was fighting the water, as though he were frightened of it or something. But now he looked anything but scared. This time instead of fighting the water he was embracing it.

He was dead even with Samezuka and another team when he finished his run. His hand hit the wall and above him Nagisa dove in. Their exchange was good, perfect even. The boys had worked so hard on those together. And she had run so many laps for it…

If Makoto's swimming had been impressive than Nagisa's was just as so. He swam faster than Gou could ever recall him doing so, as if he were trying to catch something beneath the water that none outside him could see.

"Incredible!" Goro stared open mouthed at the scoring board. "They're in third place, ahead of top schools!"

"That's a personal best!" Gou watched the numbers flashing on the screen. Nagisa was completely outdoing himself this time. All his previous records he had blown completely out of the water.

"Rei's up next," said Goro and Gou swung her gaze around to where the butterfly swimmer would be standing at the starting block ready to take his turn next. Only…Rei wasn't the one standing there. Instead a certain red-headed shark-toothed boy stood there.

" _W—what_?!" said Goro

"Ehhh?" said Amakata.

"B—brother?!" Gou's mouth dropped. What was going on? What was he _doing_ there?! She hadn't heard anything about this. Seijuro hadn't mentioned it either. Samezuka hadn't planned this. He would have told her if he had.

Then that meant…The Iwatobi boys had _invited_ him to participate in their relay?

_But why?!_ Rin's performance had been beyond terrible in the free race. They had all seen that, including Haru and the others. So why would they invite him along despite knowing that?

Down below Rin stood calmly on the starting block. He faced the water like it was an old comrade of his. An old comrade he had lost contact with and was only now was getting reconnected to. Some relationships take a long time to repair.

He reached up to pull his goggles over his eyes. Then he smiled.

This smile was not like before. Not that dark and sinister thing that had crossed his face when he had beaten Haru, that salt water smile. This smile was full of excitement and anticipation. Of joy.

Gou could scarcely breathe. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him like that.

When Nagisa hit the pool wall, Rin dove in. This time there was no late start for him.

"I told them to be free." Goro sounded a bit like he was having trouble breathing. "But they took it too far."

Gou's mouth was still hanging open. She was unable to form a response. Next to her Amakata sort of resembled one of those awful dolls Hana had bought.

"His entry angle was five degrees off," came the offhand analytic observation further down the seats in a voice that was way too familiar, "but I suppose it will do."

Goro pulled away from the voice like it had burned him. "Why are you here?!"

Rei looked at him much too coolly given the circumstances, looking as though he was about to put forth a business proposal that could simply not be turned down rather than explain why he was sitting in the stands missing out on the biggest race of his swimming experience. "I'll explain everything later. Right now we need to cheer them on." His gaze flickered onto Gou. "Gou-san."

She snapped her jaw shut. He was right. Of course he was right! If anyone knew what they were doing no matter how insane it appeared, like quitting the track team to join the swim team without even knowing how to swim for instance, it would be him. Rei was the smartest person she knew. She believed that now more than ever. She leaned forward. "Go, go, go, go, Rin!"

From within Samezuka's ranks someone yelled, loud and shrill and familiar. "Matsuoka-senpai!"

Rin's speed was phenomenal. Gone was the horrible dispirited swimming from before. This was the same speed he had shown in his race against Haru. Faster even.

Across the screen the numbers flashed. Third place slid into second. _Second place, second place!_ Gou clutched her hands. Samezuka was the only school ahead of them now. Just one more spot to go!

But now the free portion was coming up.

Gou looked down to the starting blocks. Haru stood slightly bent over, hands grasping right above his knees, waiting for Rin to finish his run. It was his turn. And also Seijuro's—

* * *

—Seijuro's turn.

He stood on the starting block, watching Matsuoka glide along through the water. He should be watching his own team mate to make sure he jumped in at the right time, but at this moment he couldn't quite take his eyes off Matsuoka. His swimming was superb. This was a speed and a skill Seijuro had not witnessed before, not even during Matsuoka's race against Haru in the first round. A speed and skill he had never hoped for from the other teen, much less expected.

Above him he could hear the chanting of Gou. Her voice was the loudest of them all. Cheering on her brother. Despite everything she still cheered for him.

What was Iwatobi thinking, he couldn't help but wonder, inviting Matsuoka to compete in the relay with them. There was no way they could have known about Matsuoka's comeback, his impressive display that had just occurred. They couldn't have invited him thinking it would increase their chances of winning. If anything the assumption would be that it was the exact opposite. So then why had they done it?

The yells and whistles brought his attention back forwards. Noro was approaching. The last leg of the race. He got into position.

Below him Noro slammed into the wall. "Captain!"

Seijuro dove in, but not before he heard a familiar voice but unfamiliar cry a few lanes over. "Haru!" Rin's voice.

Out of his peripheral vision he saw the dark haired teen dive in, a mere few seconds after Seijuro himself. It had been years since their last race. So long ago Seijuro doubted Haru remembered. He certainly hadn't acted like he did when Iwatobi had first come to Samezuka's joint practice. To Haru — back before Seijuro's marriage to Gou and his presence suddenly being thrust upon them like an inconvenient stain that would just not go away — Seijuro had been just another name of those Haru had defeated in his elementary school days. Seijuro had been merely a word in a sentence contained in Haru's book of victories, hardly worth a footnote.

Haru hadn't remembered him. But Seijuro had.

And the lesson Haru had taught him.

The fastest swimmer always wins.

_What are you trying to show me now, Nanase?_

Something different perhaps. Something that might change Seijuro's line of thought like last time. Maybe Haru was trying to show Seijuro a sight he had never seen before.

Like Matsuoka's smile. Seijuro had never seen him smile like that. That smile that was truthfully and wholly happy with nothing wicked in its folded corners, liberating almost in its innocence. As if Matsuoka had finally managed to shake off the chains he had been dragging behind himself for far too long. His incredible swimming was testament to that. Whatever it was he had been seeking, it looked like he had found it.

And what was it that Seijuro was seeking exactly? Victory? That was what was most important, wasn't it? Or was it? If victory was what was most important than Iwatobi would never have invited Matsuoka. They would never have brought him along. But they had. What they were seeking was something far more precious than just winning. They were aiming for something higher.

But then, when Seijuro thought about it, _truly_ thought about it, he hadn't been pursuing victory these past few months either. The competition had always been in the back of his mind, like an afterthought almost, but there was something else that had been the primary focus of his attentions. Just like Matsuoka, Seijuro had been focused on something else other than the competition.

It was a little funny how he had never noticed it before. Strangely he didn't find himself bothered by it at all. Maybe he's always been a bit of a hypocrite.

So if winning wasn't what was most important what was?

The turn came up. Seijuro kicked powerfully off the wall and behind him was Haru. He was close, but Seijuro was still maintaining a lead. Barely. All he needed was one tenth of a second. One tenth of a second to win. For victory. It was what he had come here for.

Wasn't it?

Seijuro thought of Matsuoka's smile once more. The loud cheering of Gou. Defeating Iwatobi would take that new found smile away, he imagined. Whatever it was Iwatobi was seeking, whatever it was Haru was trying to show them, might be lost. And if Seijuro took Matsuoka's smile away it would take Gou's away as well.

The race was coming to a close. The wall was so close now. Haru was dead set with him. He could see the other boy's movements out of the corner of his eye, a presence that couldn't be shaken. Haru was an opponent truly worthy of respect. If it had been anybody else Seijuro's loss might have been imminent. But when it came to Haru, Seijuro was a good twelve centimeters taller. His arms were longer. He would reach just one tenth of a second sooner. The win was in the palm of his hand.

Seijuro grimaced. This was going to suck. It was going to suck so bad. It was such a selfish thing for him to do. But he's always been selfish, hasn't he? This time would be no different.

He apologized in his head. Then he slammed his hand home.

* * *

Everyone was screaming. Rei, Amakata, Goro, Hana, even Yuko and Yuka. Gou's own throat was scratchy from yelling so much.

Samezuka and Iwatobi were so close. Neck and neck. They were so close Gou couldn't tell who exactly was ahead. They stretched for the wall and at the last second it almost looked like Seijuro suddenly hesitated. _Did he just…_

She didn't get a chance to think any further on it as her gaze flew to the board. The numbers flashed. One, two and three. Next to Iwatobi's name appeared the number one. One tenth of a second. That was all they had won by.

Gou screamed. Hana screamed. On the other side of her Amakata was screaming just as loudly. Hana shook Gou like she were a ragdoll. "They won, they won, they won, look, Gou!"

Goro, someone who was normally so loud, looked so flabbergasted and shocked he could barely react. His mouth was open and from the look of him he might cry.

They had won! All that they had worked for, from the day Nagisa had joined Makoto and Haru at their current high school and suggested they start the swim club till the day they had packed up on a bus to head over here, had been worth it. All their hard work and sacrifice and hope. They had won! Despite all their bad odds and disadvantages they had really, really won!

Gou looked down to the pool area. Nagisa was busily rubbing his eyes with both fists. He must already be crying. Haru was just coming out of the pool, pulled up by Makoto's always offered hand. Their hands remained clasped once he stood on dry land. They shared a smile, but that was as far as they got, for they were very shortly interrupted by a certain red haired boy charging at Haru. Not to fling a fist at him, but to fling his arms around him.

Gou couldn't believe her eyes. This couldn't be real. Her brother was… _hugging_ Haru? Not just some sort of one arm half-hearted hug either but a full on tight embrace. Rin clutched onto the other boy like he had saved him. And maybe Haru had.

For a moment Makoto and Nagisa looked to be just as shocked as Gou , then they too flung themselves at Haru, yelling out his name, becoming a mass of swim suits and really nice muscles. They all looked to be crying now, except for Haru who was probably getting squished between the three of them. They stood like that a moment, perhaps Rin was saying something to Haru, before pulling apart into a loosely bound circle, their arms around each other shoulders. Then they were all laughing and Rin was laughing with them. It was the first time Gou could recall him laughing since he had left for Australia. He was smiling. Broad and happy and pure. The same smile he used to wear when Gou had clutched his hand and he had clutched hers back.

The last missing piece to the puzzle. Rin had come home at last.

"Big brother…" Gou was about to start crying herself.

"Rin really was fast," Goro commented. "I think he swam even faster than he had in their first relay."

"I was shocked at first." Amakata dabbed at her eyes. "But this is touching."

"Still…" Goro rubbed his chin, brow wrinkled. His gaze was locked not on Iwatobi but on Samezuka. Seijuro to be exact. "I can't believe that idiot would do such a thing," he muttered under his breath.

Gou looked sharply up. She hadn't been imagining things. Goro had seen it too. At the very last second, Seijuro had…

Her face crumpled. "That idiot," she choked and buried her face in her hands.

* * *

Seijuro climbed his way out of the pool. He tore the swim cap off his head, blinking and shaking to try and clear his eyesight. He glanced at the score board, though he didn't have to look to know the scorings.

Iwatobi had won. By one tenth of a second. Samezuka had come in second.

A few lanes over the winning swim team were celebrating their victory. The four boys were hugging each other, piling on top of poor Haru. The three of them were all crying and laughing at the same time. Matsuoka was crying the hardest of them all, but then he also laughed the loudest. Seijuro had never heard him laugh before.

Matsuoka smiled. A real, true smile. And beyond him in the stands Gou had her face in her hands.

Seijuro pushed his hair out of his eyes, ducking his head so as not to show his own smile.

He had lost the race.

But in the end he felt like he had gained something far more precious.

* * *

"I can't believe after all that and Samezuka won anyway!"

They stood outside the stadium. Above them the sky was turning orange with sunset. The day was coming to an end and along with it the races. Around them walked various teams in their jerseys, returning to their lodging after a hard day's worth of competition.

"Well, it's to be expected I suppose." Amakata had her arms crossed over her chest. "A swimmer can't swim for another schools swim team."

"Naturally." Goro had a stupid grin on his face, like someone who had been caught and punished for pulling off a prank but not minding as the prank had just been too good regardless of the consequences. Thankfully Amakata wasn't looking his way.

"It wasn't easy to endure the officials scolding us," the teacher continued, forehead slightly pinched. "They never thought they would have something like this happen in one of their competitions. They could have accused us of cheating if they had really desired so. We're lucky they decided to only disqualify us."

The four boys stood in a row in front of her like soldiers waiting to be disciplined. Together they bowed in unison. Even Haru. "We're very sorry," they chorused.

Their remorseful tone must have done it, for Amakata let out a deep sigh. "Well, it's okay." Her forehead lost its painful pinch. "Young people get to do crazy things like that."

She glanced sidelong at Gou, giving her a little wink. Gou snorted under her breath at the insinuation. Not that she could exactly argue with it all things considered.

"Why _did_ you pull that stunt?" asked Goro of the four boys and Gou felt the words following that sentence despite Goro not saying them. _You might have won otherwise_.

The four boys looked at each other. It was Rei who spoke first. "Because." He smiled. "It was the right thing to do."

"Yep!" Nagisa instantly agreed. "We may be on different teams…"

Makoto followed, "But we're still…"

"Friends," finished Haru.

"What does that mean?" asked Amakata but the boys only laughed and provided no further explanation.

In the end it was Samezuka who had been granted the title and the money. With Iwatobi having been disqualified they had taken first, and the one bumped up to second had been none other than the German school, Gou's adopted swim team. She was proud of them, in a strange motherly type way.

Iwatobi may have lost that cash and achievement, both they _really_ could have used, but things could always be worse. The race had brought back Rin's smile after all. Gou would have picked that over any amount of money in the world.

Speaking of which…

She stepped over to the side and pulled out her phone. It was easy finding the name she was searching for. Throughout her phone the name was peppered, from calls to texts to voicemail. If she knew how to set up speed dial she would have set the number up there but alas she wasn't even aware if her phone carried such a feature. Considering how cheap it was probably not.

She pushed the call button and held the phone to her ear. She moved on her feet in a nervous dance. She had never called him before. He may not answer. He may be busy with his own swim team, but she hoped he would. She would be disappointed, maybe even a little rejected, if he didn't answer her first time calling.

The phone continued to ring. It was sure to go to voicemail any second now. She waited for that, but that isn't what she got.

"Hello?"

For a moment she couldn't get her mouth to move. She had never heard him on the phone before and for a brief second her mind lost all grasp of human language. She struggled to retain some semblance of human conversation. Without sounding like an idiot. Hopefully. "H—hey."

"Everything alright?" In his background she could vaguely hear boys chattering. He was definitely with his swim team.

"Where are you?"

"Right next to the stadium."

_Good_. They hadn't left yet then.

"Why? What's up?"

"I want to see you."

Silence on the other end. Gou clutched the phone tightly. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. She was so hot she was starting to sweat.

"Okay," the response came at last. "Where are you?"

Gou glanced around herself. She spotted some stairs. _There._ Up there would be the perfect spot. She described it to him.

"I'll be right there."

Gou's smile felt like sunshine on her face. "Okay." She hung up the phone. Briefly she went and told Amakata she would be departing for a bit then she headed for the stairs.

_Is this what a real relationship feels like_ , she couldn't help but wonder as she made her way to their selected meeting spot. Not an accidental one like their marriage but a real one?

She didn't know.

But she was looking forward to finding out.

* * *

Seijuro was nearly out of breath when he got to the spot. He had run the entire way. Even up all those awful, awful stairs. But when he reached the top and saw Gou waiting for him it made all those awful stairs worthwhile. "Hey."

She turned. Upon seeing him she smiled. A full grateful smile that curled all the way up into her eyes. "Thank you."

Seijuro didn't have to ask what she was thanking him for. By the look on her face he knew.

"Yeah, well, I guess winning isn't everything, right?" He felt like he had won something far more valuable anyway.

"But you still won though."

"…Oh, yeah!"

Her smile became twinged with amusement. She turned to look off the cliff they stood on and Seijuro moved to stand beside her. From their view point they could see easily down into the stadium. The whole town was spread out before them. If it had been at night it surely would have been a magnificent sight all lit up.

"I was wrong," Gou said suddenly. "I thought my brother needed Iwatobi to change, and he did, but he needed you too."

"He needed you as well." If Gou hadn't been there, hadn't joined the Iwatobi swim team, Seijuro doubted Matsuoka would have been in that relay. _Iwatobi_ wouldn't even have been for that matter. Gou had been the one to secretly enter them after all. If not for her none of them would have gotten as far as they had.

Gou's smile widened further. "He needed everyone," she said and after a moment of consideration Seijuro realized how much that was true. Matsuoka _had_ needed everyone. Had needed everyone to bring a piece in order to rebuild him back whole again. Sometimes it really did take a village.

"By the way, you're…you're not going to kick him off the swim team…are you?" asked Gou, hands fisted in her hair.

Seijuro almost laughed a loud at the question. "No, no, not at all."

"R—really?"

"Really, really."

"But what he did…aren't you _mad_ about it?"

"Not a bit. And besides after all _that_ kick him off? I'd have to be insane to do so." He leaned his forearms on the railing next to her. "He did what he wanted to do from the depth of his heart. I can't blame him for doing something like that."

Seijuro had done the exact same thing after all. Both of them had been equally as selfish during that race. Perhaps they were more alike than he had thought. Although thinking that made him strangely irritated for some reason. "Besides, he didn't damage the swim team at all," he continued, trying to ignore the ruffled feeling in his head like he had just been personally insulted. "And he's a good swimmer. Kicking good swimmers from a swim team wouldn't make any sense."

"Are you…sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

After seeing how Matsuoka had swam for Iwatobi…Seijuro wanted that for Samezuka. If Matsuoka swam the same way for Samezuka as he did for Iwatobi then he could really propel the swim team forward, maybe even more than Seijuro could. In order for that to happen Matsuoka had to first become as invested in Samezuka as he was with Iwatobi. And to get a person like Matsuoka invested he had to care. If there is one thing that drove Matsuoka it was his emotions. They could be his downfall when he became overwhelmed by them, but they were also his strength.

Keeping Matsuoka on the swim team rather than kicking him off, as Seijuro honestly should have done, had been the start of creating that investment. Rather than feeling like the swim team owed him something like he had seemed to act before, Matsuoka would be grateful and honored to be there. He would be proud, not just in his own abilities, as he had been before, but in everyone's. And that would make all the difference.

Great captains were great because they were feared, loved, or respected. Seijuro was starting to get a feeling which one Matsuoka would turn out to be. Eventually, anyway. Matsuoka still had a ways to go. A shot foot certainly doesn't heal in a day, but he had his foot on the right path now. All he needed to do was walk it. Without blundering into anymore detours that is.

"Thank you."

Seijuro let out a bark of laughter. "You shouldn't thank me for that. He earned that spot on his own."

"Still, I mean even if he is a good swimmer considering what he did, that was a pretty big offense, right? You would have totally been in your right to kick him out. _I_ might have been tempted to kick him out if I were in your position." She leaned in closer as if compelling him to agree with her.

He shrugged one shoulder. Gou had moved so close his arm brushed against her's as he did so. "Well, I figured him causing you guys to get disqualified was punishment enough. He made you lose all that money too."

"Ugh! Don't even mention that!" She clutched her head, her whole arm bumping into him as she did so. "All that money…" She spread her hands in front of her as if the money would suddenly appear in them. She covered her face. "We're going to be stuck swimming in bath tubs all winter long!" she wailed.

Bath tubs? Seijuro wasn't sure what that was about. Why would anyone swim in a bath tub? _Must_ _be Nanase's idea_.

A thought struck him then, one which had nothing to do with bath tubs, and he brightened. "Hey, you should come to dinner with us tomorrow night!"

She lowered her hands to reveal a furrowed brow. "Dinner?"

"Yeah! We're going to be celebrating our victories!" Samezuka had won a fair amount today. One advantage of having a big swim team: you could compete in more races. Even if Samezuka had lost in one race, they could win in others. And they had. "You should all come! Everyone from Iwatobi! You could even bring Hana and the girls along too if you want. It'll be our treat!"

"Are you…sure about that? That's an awful lot of people to treat, isn't it? It'd be expensive."

"It won't be a problem at all! You should all definitely come! It'll be fun!" Iwatobi _had_ technically been the victors after all too. Not to mention how much Seijuro owed them. In more ways than one. Treating them to dinner would be a small way of him paying them back.

"Well, okay." Gou smiled. "It's a date then."

_A date?_ Seijuro almost fell over hearing the words. Their first official _official_ date. Not one that he thought kinda sorta _might_ be. This time there would be no question. He struggled to retain his composure, not wanting to over show his excitement and end up embarrassing himself.

He didn't have long to struggle though, as another thought occurred to him, quickly putting a damper on his excitement.

"The day after that…that's the day we go home, isn't it?"

Gou tilted her head to the side. "It is." She mulled over that, eyes distant. She shrugged. "The dinner will be a good way to celebrate your victory and our time here then."

Seijuro stared at her. Then he smiled. "You're right." Of course she was. There was no reason to feel unease or worried about that deadline anymore. No longer were they tied to a ticking timer, destined to end once they left this place. Now it was more like a beginning.

"Hey," said Seijuro, getting excited again, "since it's our last event we should make it cou—" He stopped.

The last two times they had tried doing that it had gotten utterly devastated by some event or other, hadn't it? It was almost like some sort of curse. But this time it was different, wasn't it? There was nothing else that could get in their way anymore.

"We should make it count!"

Gou blinked at him a moment then her eyes lit up with understanding. "We should," she agreed. "Let's make sure this one really counts."

"Alright!" _Make it count._ This time for sure. There was nothing that could possibly mess it up now! Nothing whatsoever!

His phone went off in his pocket and he pulled it out to find a text from Nakagawa. "Shit. The bus." If he was late Nakagawa was going to throw a fit. "I have to get going." He straightened. "Will you be staying at the house tonight?"

They would be arriving late. Both swim teams. Late enough that it would make sense for Gou to stay at the Iwatobi lodges rather than go there and then make her way to the house.

But Gou's brows only furrowed at his suggestion, like she didn't understand why he would ask such a thing. "Where else would I stay?"

He smiled. The way she said it so casually, like _of course_ she would stay there, it wouldn't make any sense to stay anywhere else, would it? Those simple words were enough to warm him all over. "I'll see you there then."

He placed a hand gently on her head then turned to go. If he didn't get to the bus quickly he was going to get a mouthful from Nakagawa.

He had scarcely gone a few steps towards the stairs when Gou suddenly called out. "Wa—wait!"

He turned questioningly. She hesitated, as if unsure about something, then she made an exasperated sound, and suddenly she was running towards him. He barely had enough time to fully turn her way before she threw herself at him. She collided into him and, before Seijuro had a chance to fully process what was occurring, her arms were around his neck and she pulled herself upwards. And kissed him.

For a moment Seijuro forgot how to breathe. Nothing close to this had ever happened before, especially not by Gou's initiative. There had been that kiss on the cheek but Seijuro didn't really count that, and even when he had kissed her previously, while she hadn't rejected him she hadn't exactly responded with a large amount of avidity either. Seijuro had thought, and _hoped,_ that it had simply been shyness on her part rather than any sort of lack of interest. And now it was looking like perhaps he hadn't been wrong on that account.

Gou pulled back a hair's breadth. Her face was swathed with red. When she spoke her voice was almost like a croak. "It's for luck."

_For luck?_ Seijuro's brain was having a hard time processing anything besides the feeling of Gou's lips and her arms around him. Finally it dawned on him and he let out a low chuckle. "I think I might need a bit more then."

He lowered his face to kiss her properly this time and he was more than rewarded when she met him halfway. It was soft and a bit hesitant at first, something that was familiar but very different at the same time, like discovering something new, teetering on the edge of unexplored territory. It was Gou who pressed forward, deepening the kiss, and Seijuro could have died right then and been happy about it.

Perhaps Gou was the type who just took a while to decide what they really wanted. It had taken her a while before she had joined the Iwatobi swim team after all, and considering how abruptly their relationship had started it wasn't exactly a big surprise that she had been unsure about it. When Gou finally did make her decision, when she finally decided what she really truly wanted, she went after it with the same hot-blooded pertinaciousness and determination her brother was renowned for.

To think that Gou wanted him, him of all people when she could have chosen anyone, _anyone_ she wanted, was enough to send Seijuro's blood sky rocketing.

He kissed her back hard, meeting her kiss back fifty-fifty, half and half. He raised his hand to cup her cheek, tilting her head back slightly. Her breath was hot against his cheek. It sounded like her breathing had quickened, although Seijuro had a hard time hearing anything over the sound of his own thundering heartbeat in his ears. His other arm circled her waist and she leaned back against his other hand, leaning into his touch and body. Her fingers moved into his hair, tightening around the strands. Her lips parted, deepening the kiss further still, and Seijuro's mind was going into some thrilling places – like how they were in a fairly public place and anyone could walk up _any_ minute now and get more than just the view of the stadium they had bargained for – when—

Seijuro's phone went off.

For a brief moment Seijuro considered chucking the bastard thing over the cliff's edge. But Gou had bought this phone for him. He couldn't do that when she had gone out of her way to get it for him. Maybe he could fling Nakagawa over instead.

Reluctantly he pulled back. Gou's cheeks were flushed. Her lips were redder than usual and when she opened her eyes her pupils were unusually wide. Seijuro found he really liked that look on her.

"I gotta go," he said and even he was surprised at how low and grated his voice had become.

"Oh," said Gou in a dazed way. She jerked her head, blinking forcibly as if dragging herself back to reality. "Oh, right. The bus. You're going to miss it."

"Yeah." He kissed her once, hard and quick, then released her. He headed down the stairs. "Make sure you dress up nice for the dinner tomorrow night!" he called back to her.

She moved to the edge to peer down at him. "I don't always look nice?"

"Extra nice then!"

"I don't always look extra nice?"

"Well, I haven't seen you naked yet—"

"Oh my god!"

"But I suppose." He paused on a step to flash a grin up at her.

She was the color of an overly ripe tomato. She couldn't meet his eyes, gaze darting around looking at anything but him. Yet no words of denial came from her.

Seijuro's grin widened. One day he was going to be able to see her naked. And touch her freely. When she was ready of course. He as well. They had all the time in the world to wander and discover that wondrous new path. Together.

He went down the stairs, nearly taking three at a time, the warmth flooding through his veins like liquid sunshine.

_Throwing that race was the best thing I ever did._

Scratch that.

_Marrying you was the best thing I ever did._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oddly the boys relay was super hard to write? I think I spent two weeks on writing that part alone.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos, reviewed, bookmarked, or even read this drivel! Especially those who have stuck around since the start - you guys are awesome considering how long this fic has taken!
> 
> Approx. two chapters left. Yay! *throws sparkles*


	33. Love Redux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should write a story about writer's block because that seems to be the only muse I have nowadays! This chapter was the chapter from hell and I think I spent literally two months on the first half because kept I hating everything I had wrote and deleting it about four times. Anyway it's finally, finally done and it turned out quite longer than I expected so enjoy a (slightly) longer chapter!
> 
> Thank you also to everyone who has commented, left kudos, and bookmarked, and been patient with me as I slowly gurgle out chapters. It really means a lot to me!

Gou pulled the skin near the corner of her eye away to the point her vision became blurred in that one eye. Very slowly, watching the entire time in the mirror across from her, she lifted her hand as if she were about to perform a magic trick. Trying not to blink she moved the pencil slowly across her lid. She held her breath. If she messed this up it was going to be a pain. Whoever had invented eyeliner must have been a truly sadistic person. It always took so long to redo it if you messed up…

Faintly from the living room she could hear Seijuro shuffling about getting ready as well. Gou had opted to get ready here rather than at Hana's place. After having spent the majority of the day dress shopping with Hana, she had wanted to give herself some time with him, even if most of that time was spent with her standing goggle eyed in front of the mirror. Not to mention how the debate team lodge only had one bathroom. Four girls fighting over one mirror was no fun for anyone.

There came the dim chime of Seijuro's phone, a sound Gou had come to recognize the just as much as her own. "What was that?"

Seijuro appeared in the mirror behind her. "It's Nakagawa." He adjusted his tie over her head, tall enough to do so without needing her to move. "He's heading over to the restaurant with a few others. They'll go ahead and get us checked in for the reservation and get things set for the rest of us."

"Oh, good."

In the mirror she could see he hadn't put on his jacket yet. His button down shirt hugged his torso just slightly and Gou found she was having a hard time keeping her gaze off his reflection. _Such nice abdominal muscles._ Hastily she set down her eye pencil before she ended up scrawling all over her eyelid. "Makoto-senpai and Hana-chan said they would be leaving soon as well," she nearly squeaked. She coughed. "I told them we'd meet them there."

"What about Sasabe-san and Amakata?"

"They decided to go out on their own date. They thought it would be too awkward having two old people around a bunch of teenagers – their words, not mine – and wanted to let us celebrate uninterrupted." Gou frowned at the ceiling. "I think they were just looking for an excuse to go off on their own honestly."

"That sounds like Sasabe! Can't blame him, though! Oh!" Seijuro perked up suddenly. "I have something for you guys."

"Something for us?" Did he mean Iwatobi?

"Yeah." He disappeared out of the bathroom before she could question him further.

What could he have possibly gotten them? Pizza maybe? Or mackerel? She shuddered. _Please god no_. She had had enough of either of those to last her a lifetime.

She was somewhat relieved to not see a flat box or metal cans in his hands when he returned. Instead what he held out to her was a piece of paper. "Here."

She eyed the sheet a little warily. The last paper he had given her had been none other than their marriage certificate the night after their little drunken escapade. What could it possibly be this time? A death certificate? An arrest warrant? Jury duty? Chain letter?

Carefully she took it, handling it like it was oozing with goo. She turned it over. She stared. Then she stared some more.

"This is…"

A check. A check for two thousand five hundred dollars.

"Half the winnings," said Seijuro. "Well, half the winnings from the relay anyway."

Gou stared at the paper in her hands. Half the winnings. Exactly half.

"But…why?" She looked up at him. "Why would you give this to us?"

"Well, you guys _did_ technically win after all." Seijuro shrugged. "Truthfully we only became the victors because of a technicality. You guys deserve that money as much as we do. So I figured we'd split it! Half and half."

Gou knew shat he said wasn't entirely true – Seijuro _had_ thrown the race to let Iwatobi win to begin with – but the last part of what he said is what truly caught her attention.

_Half and half._

_When you're married you do everything by halves._

Just like her mother had said.

"Thank you." Her heart was so full she could scarcely muster a half whisper.

Seijuro laughed. "Don't thank me! You guys earned that! Just make sure you spend it wisely! I want to race you guys again and beat you properly next time. You wouldn't be able to do that if you were stuck swimming in bath tubs all winter long or whatever."

_Oh, that._ That was true. If Iwatobi was to have any chance of making any sort of victories next summer they would need a proper way to practice.

"Although," Seijuro continued thoughtfully. "You _could_ have just asked to use the Samezuka pool."

Gou blinked. "The Samezuka pool?"

"Of course! You've already used it once, remember! You could always use it again."

_Oh, yeah._ They had used the Samezuka pool before hadn't they? Back when Rei was doing his best impression of a submarine or stick or whatever he had claimed. "Well, I wouldn't have wanted to impose on you guys."

"Oh, please! You can use it as much as you want! We'd love to have you there."

Did he mean Rin as well when he said 'we'? Then again after yesterday's race there was no reason why he shouldn't, was there?

"I don't know if it would be such a good idea for me to be there though…"

Seijuro's face fell like she had just told him he wasn't going to get a birthday this year. "What? Why?"

"Because!" She flipped her hair extravagantly back over her shoulder. "I would just be way too much of a distraction for you! We can't have the great Samezuka captain faltering because he's too busy thinking about girls now, can we!"

She waited for Seijuro's facial expression to become embarrassed but no such delivery was offered. In fact Seijuro's expression didn't change in the least at her cheeky response. "Oh, well, I was doing that during our last joint practice anyway—"

Gou's mouth dropped.

"Why do you think I agreed to that in the first place?" he continued guilelessly. "It's not like Samezuka really needs any additional people to swim against. Agreeing to that joint practice was just so I could get you over there—"

"W—what?!"

"—and even if you weren't there I'd still be thinking about you anyway."

"Oh my god!" Quickly Gou turned away. She had been trying to make him flustered but instead the opposite had happened!

And after all this time Nagisa had been right! It _had_ been sexual appeal that had gotten her that joint practice! _He can_ never, ever _know!_ She would never hear the end of it otherwise.

"Y—you are so embarrassing!" She pushed Seijuro out the bathroom, or attempted to anyway. All that really happened was he sort of leaned slightly and looked on the borderline of laughter. "G—go call the cab or something!"

He did laugh now. "I already have!" He held up his phone to peer at it. "They should be arriving any moment now. Are you ready?"

_I would be if I hadn't just sweat all my make up off!_ Thankfully a quick assessment in the mirror showed she didn't look like some sort of sad weeping clown and after a momentary touch up she was ready to go.

Despite having an entire cab to themselves she and Seijuro ended up nearly sharing a seat anyway. She leaned over him to look out his window rather than bothering to look out her own, nearly pressed against his side. Their hands lay clasped atop his thigh.

The restaurant was downtown, close to the place where they had seen the play. That place with all those fancy lights and extravagant atmosphere. Gou was really looking forward to it.

"Looks like the gangs all here," Seijuro commented and Gou glanced out the front of the cab. At the entrance to the building they were pulling into stood none other than Iwatobi boys.

The four of them looked over as Gou and Seijuro's cab pulled up to the curb, and Seijuro stepped out. "Sei-chan!" Nagisa called out to them like he hadn't seen them in years rather than just yesterday. "You're here!"

"Sorry we're late!" Seijuro offered a hand to help Gou out of the cab. She fussed with straightening her dress momentarily before accepting Seijuro's hand once again to step up onto the curb, and held it. "You guys weren't waiting long were you?"

"Not at all. You're just in time." Makoto's smile was wider than usual. If he managed to look any happier stars were going to start shooting out of his eyes. "Glad you two made it."

"The Samezuka members have already headed inside." Rei pointed to the large elegant building they were standing in front of. "I think it would be best we head in as well so the others are not kept waiting."

"Of course!"

"Have you guys seen my brother?" asked Gou as they headed for the front door. The Rin from before would likely not have even shown up to this sort of event, or only with great reluctance and much scowling like he had for the play. But now…

"He arrived earlier." Haru did not turn when he answered her. "He told us he would meet us at the restaurant."

Gou nearly stopped in her tracks at the answer. The fact that the information came from Haru, _Haru_ of all people, so easily and so casually, spoke such utter volumes. _Things have definitely changed._ And for the better. _Not to mention…_

She thought of the check tucked away in her purse. She'd have to tell them later. If she told them now it would only cause a scene. Nagisa and Rei would likely cry, and cling in said weeping state onto Seijuro. Haru would be so happy he likely wouldn't know what to do about it. He might start taking off his clothes imagining all the swimming he could do and then he'd get them kicked out of the restaurant for public nudity. Getting kicked out and arrested for indecent exposure their last night here would definitely not be a good note to end their trip on. Goro would kill them. _Yes, I will definitely have to wait until later to tell them._

Seijuro pushed open the doors, held them for Gou, and they had scarcely stepped inside when a chorus greeted them. "Captain Mikoshiba!" "Hey captain!" "The captain's here!" "Captain!"

Samezuka members. Dressed up as they were she hardly recognized them.

"Hey!" Seijuro waved to them with his free hand. "Looks like everyone's here!"

" _Now_ everyone is." Nakagawa stepped away from the restaurant's host desk. In a suit he only looked that much sterner than usual. "It's about time you arrived. They wouldn't seat us until everyone was here."

"Oh, really? Sorry about that. Hey miss!" Seijuro shouted at the receptionist. "We're all here! You can seat us now!"

"Couth as always," observed Nakagawa. "I hope we don't get billed for being too loud." His gaze shifted downwards and he spotted their linked hands.

Gou stiffened. Such signs of affection around Iwatobi was no big deal; they knew everything that had occurred. But having a Samezuka member who was unaware about everything seeing it was a little nerve wracking. She didn't know what to expect. The Samezuka members might not be accepting of her and this sudden new relationship presented to them.

Nakagawa didn't say a word, yet when he turned away she swore she him smiling.

"Gou!" someone called and Gou raised her head. She knew that voice.

"Hana-chan?" She spotted the girl behind some Samezuka members. She raced over to go greet her.

"Oh, my gosh, Gou!" Hana threw her arms around her. "You look so good!"

" _I_ look good?! You look good! That new dress looks perfect on you!"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw her brother making his way over to greet the Iwatobi boys. To greet them with warm smiles and friendly words rather than hot glares and cold silences, and Gou would have paid more mind to it, but she was quickly distracted by Yuka and Yuko coming over and gushing about how great they looked.

They were ushered shortly to their table and Gou could see Seijuro really _had_ gone all out for this. He had rented a private area near the back of the restaurant, giving them an entire room to themselves so they wouldn't be a disturbance to other guests. A good choice considering how loud a large group of teenagers could be. The lights had been dimmed ever so slightly, creating a more romantic atmosphere, and the long table had been set with glasses of water, wine glasses, and napkins that had been cleverly folded to look like swans.

"Should we sit according to our bus seating assignments?" joked one Samezuka member, eliciting a string of laughter from his fellow swim members.

Gou almost wished they would. It would have made things so much more convenient for her. But as it were she moved mindfully towards the head of the table at once, nearly dragging Hana with her, taking a seat directly to the left of the head of the table whilst the rest of the Samezuka tram distracted themselves with how they were going to sit.

Yuko and Yuka followed behind Hana and Gou, with the Iwatobi boys claiming the seats after them, and Rin and Nitori on his other side. On the other side of the table sat Nakagawa, and next to him the boy Noro, who sat in his seat stiffly, almost like he were sitting on a bear trap that might snap closed any minute rather than a chair. His gaze flickered on Gou like she were some sort of wild animal. For a moment she had no idea what his problem was until she realized.

He had overheard about the marriage when she had tracked Seijuro down in that locker room, hadn't he? It was no wonder he was looking at her so strangely. She was going to have to talk to Seijuro about that later.

"Thanks for coming everybody!" Seijuro addressed them from the head of the table. "Tonight we're here to celebrate all our hard work these past few months and all are great victories! Thanks for a great summer and here's to hoping we'll have more of them in the future!"

There was a chorus of hoots and hollers in loud agreement. Nagisa almost came cheering completely out of his seat, Rei barely able to keep him from belly flopping onto the table.

"Please feel free to order whatever you want!" Seijuro continued. "It's our last night here! Let's make sure it counts!"

The hooting and hollering was much louder this time and for a moment or two there was merry boisterous chaos. Nakagawa scolded them for being too loud, insisting they were going to get kicked out, but scarcely anyone heard him. Gou was faintly glad for the distraction. It wouldn't do for Seijuro to see her smiling so about what he had said.

"Rei-chan!" Nagisa's voice came from further down the table. "Let's order everything!"

"Absolutely not! That is way too much food! We would never be able to eat all that!"

"Sure we can! Rin-chan will help us!"

"I'm not going to eat that much food!" protested Rin. "And I've seen what you've been eating. I don't want any of that!"

"Are you on a diet too, Rin-chan?"

"A diet has nothing to do with it!"

Gou kept her gaze on her menu, fighting to hide her smile. Maybe she had been wrong thinking earlier that things had changed. It couldn't be said that they had changed exactly. It was more of a return to the way things had been. The way they _should_ be. With a little addition thrown in for the better, of course. Rei and Nitori. And Seijuro too.

She looked at Seijuro from behind her menu. Thinking about Noro's awareness regarding their marriage reminded her they still hadn't talked about what they were going to do after they got back to Japan, had they? Somehow she got the feeling Seijuro wasn't going to bring it up unless he absolutely had to. He would be trying to give her the space and time to decide what she wanted completely on her own terms without any outside influence on his part.

Which…was just another way of saying he was partial to them staying married, wasn't it? If she asked for a divorce he would go along with it without argument or complaint, but he would be doing it to make her happy, not because he actually _wanted_ to. Just like Nagisa had said.

She frowned a little. She hadn't thought much about what they should do in terms of their marriage upon their return to Japan. With everything else going on she hadn't had the time to really think about what she wanted to do; if she wanted to get a divorce or remain married. Their relationship was one thing, but their marriage was something else entirely. Before it had been so black and white but now…what _did_ she want to do now?

"Gouuuu." Hana leaned against her shoulder. "Gou, what are you going to order?"

_Oh._ She hadn't even looked at the menu yet. _Best to think on all that later._ She still had a little time and they were supposed to be celebrating tonight. Her decision about the marriage could wait until later.

"I'm going to get this thing!" Hana pointed. "It's called…escargot, I think? I don't know what that is but it sure sounds good!"

"O—oh, that's…" _Well, never mind._ Hana would find out for herself. "I think I'm going to get some wine to start with."

"Wine?" That word was echoed not just by Hana alone. Gou looked over to Seijuro.

"Of course! We're supposed to be celebrating aren't we? Besides, you're only supposed to sip wine. And anyway, what's the worst that can happen?" She gave him what she hoped was her cheekiest smile.

Seijuro's face lit up the same exact way it had their first night here and she had decided to stay and drink with him in that bar. He yelled out to the waitress. "Miss, miss! Bring us some wine!"

"Yes, wine!" another all too familiar voice echoed down the table. "Let's order that too, Rei-chan!"

"I didn't think you liked wine," commented Nakagawa to Seijuro. "I've never seen you order it before."

"We're celebrating, Nakagawa! You're supposed to drink wine when you're celebrating!"

"Is that not champagne you're thinking of?"

"Oh, is it? Hey, miss! Bring us some champagne too!"

Despite ordering quite a bit of alcohol most of them managed to control themselves. Even Nagisa, who put his drink to the side once their food arrived and became much too busy socializing to indulge in it too much. Gou took sips throughout rather than downing her drinks like she had the first night at that bar, and stopped once she felt a slight buzz. She gave a reassuring wave to Makoto when she caught him looking her way. He was still watching out for her, but she had learned her lesson. Having to endure a hangover tomorrow on a nearly day long plane ride did not sound in the least bit fun. She might end up puking in Amakata's lap and then she would _never_ be forgiven.

The dinner was merry and boisterous. Seijuro kept holding out morsels for Gou to try, insisting she try different things. Noro stared, his fork held limply in his hand as he seemed to forget he was in the middle of eating a delicious meal. Nakagawa barely paid any mind, only commenting that if the two of them had wanted a romantic dinner they should have just gone by themselves, which prompted Seijuro to try and feed him as well.

"Stop that! I don't want your nasty germs!" Nakagawa swatted the instrument away.

"My germs aren't nasty!" protested Seijuro.

"All germs are nasty!" Nakagawa insisted. "Did you not pay attention in biology?! There are approximately twenty billion microbes in your mouth at any given time! That's gross!"

"I don't mind them," said Gou.

A moment of silence followed her confession.

"G—Gou-kun!" Seijuro looked like he might cry.

"Please don't use Gou and kun together."

"Gou-kun is so amazing!"

Gou started to turn red.

"W—well, then…" Nakagawa pulled at his collar. He coughed into his fist. Noro looked like he was about to experience a mental breakdown.

"I wish _I_ had someone to share my food with," grumbled Hana. "Or share germs with too."

"Do you?!" Seijuro sat forward in his chair a little too eagerly. "I have a brother whose been looking for a girlfriend! When we get back I could introduce you if you wanted!"

"R—really?"

"Of course! He's younger but I'm sure you'd like him!"

"Oh, yeah! That would be great!" Hana turned to Gou. "You never told me he had a brother before!" she said in an accusatory whisper. "Why were you holding out on me?!"

"You never asked before! And what do you mean 'holding out on you'?!"

"Do you have any other brothers?" asked Yuko, leaning over.

"Sorry, no, just the one!" said Seijuro. "I do have a sister though."

Yuko considered. "That could work."

Noro choked on his wine.

They spent the rest of their time in pleasant conversation. As they finished their food Seijuro left his seat to go talk to others further down the table and it didn't take long for it to seem like his swim team was playing a game of musical chairs. His members switched seats, moving about to socialize with each other, rotating around one another to talk to everyone. Even Rei and Nagisa followed suit, Rin bringing them over to introduce the two to his other teammates.

Gou almost dropped her wine glass at the sight. Her brother was actually introducing people, not to mention one of those people being Rei. She had never imagined her brother and the other boy were that close. Then again she still wasn't sure what had happened the night before the competition when her brother had asked for Rei's number. Maybe more had happened between the two of them than she was aware of, and they were closer than she had thought.

Regardless of that, seeing her brother laughing and smiling among all his peers and Iwatobi was more than Gou could have ever asked for. Being able to have both swim teams here together, plus Hana and the girls, freely enjoying each other's company for a pleasant evening without misgiving or worry was a dream she didn't believe would ever come true.

And the ones who had made that all possible…

She glanced down the table to Iwatobi. Without them her brother would likely never have returned to being the person he used to be – the person he was _supposed_ to be. Like a plane that had been knocked off course they had fixed his engine and brought him back onto his true trajectory. Each of them had helped in their own way to make it possible to bring her brother back.

But it wasn't just her brother they had helped, was it? They had helped her so much too, and not just for this summer. Without them she wouldn't have been able to experience all the great things she had since she had first joined the swim team. Without them her life without would be quite lonely and dull she imagined. They brought a level of excitement and joy to her life she couldn't imagine living without anymore.

Not to mention…

Her gaze slid further down the table. Seijuro was talking to one of his teammates, and Gou placed her chin in her palm to watch them. If not for Seijuro none of this would have happened either. He had enabled Iwatobi to bring back her brother, having gone so far as to give up a very precious victory. She knew better than to think he had done that for her brother's sake. He had done it for her. She knew that.

And everything else he had done for her over these precious months.

Funny, if someone had told her before coming on this trip what would happen and who she would come to care for she would have laughed and told them they were crazy. But now she couldn't imagine things any other way. Having Seijuro fall into her life, however recklessly or insanely, had been the best thing to happen to her.

_I'm glad I met you._

It was growing late by the time they wrapped everything up. The food had come and gone, and everyone had eaten more than their fair share. _More than their fair share._ Gou was sort of regretting that last piece of pie she had scarfed down with Hana. If she had eaten anymore she might have exploded.

"We have a flight tomorrow!" Seijuro reminded his teammates as they gathered to depart for the evening. "A very long flight, so make sure you get lots of sleep tonight!"

"We can sleep on the plane!" protested one slightly inebriated Samezuka member, which only elicited a string of laughter from the others.

Makoto suggested they let Samezuka go first before Iwatobi departed, a suggestion which the others quickly agreed to. With the large amount of members Samezuka had they would be hard pressed to try and find a cab of their own at the same time as them. Better to let them go first then they could get a cab later.

Not to mention it gave Gou a perfect opportunity to make her announcement! She held onto her purse, trying not to look too obvious to the others.

Hana leaned over to her. "I'm going to the bathroom," she whispered. Gou only nodded, too distracted thinking about presenting the guys with the check.

"Are you guys going to wait here?" asked Seijuro, nearly making her jump.

"Y-yes! We'll wait here. Oh, by the way I thought you might want to say something to Noro. He seemed…a little tense tonight."

"Noro?" Seijuro seemed to be surprised by this then he frowned in thought. "Yeah, I guess he did. He was there in the locker room, wasn't he?" He scratched his cheek. "Well, I suppose I could explain things properly to him. Maybe tomorrow before we board the plane or during the flight. Not like we won't have plenty of time then! I mean, if you're okay with that, that is."

Gou nodded. "That sounds good."

The smile that bloomed across his face was unmistakable. What could it be that he was so happy about? Did talking to Noro really make him that happy? Gou didn't understand it at all.

"I'll see you in a bit then!" He patted her on the head and conveniently missed the glower she aimed at his back as he walked away. She had expected a kiss, damnit. What was this pat on the head nonsense?

Then again…her brother was still there, wasn't he? With him around they had to be discreet. She aimed a narrow glare his way as he headed for the bathroom, a little impatient for him to leave.

_Wait, the bathroom?_

Indeed. Instead of heading out with the rest of the Samezuka team he was headed for the washroom.

"He's heading back with us."

"Hmmm?" Gou looked up to see Haru addressing her. He must have seen her looking.

"He's heading back with us," he repeated.

"Oh? R—really? "

"Before going back to the Samezuka lodges, yes."

"Oh." She raised her hand in a vain attempt to hide her smile.

Haru saw it anyway. He turned his face away. "What?" he grumbled.

"Nothing, nothing!"

Haru would always be Haru. Regardless of coming out of his shell a bit he would always be Mr. I Only Respond to Certain Voice Commands like water, mackerel, Makoto, and more water. Not that Gou would ever want him to be any other way. He wouldn't be Haru otherwise.

"Oh!" With Rin momentarily gone it gave her the perfect opportunity to present her surprise. She dug into her purse. "I have something I need to show you guys, by the way…"

* * *

Rin stood in front of the mirror, appraising his reflection as one might do with something they vaguely recognized but still felt strangely alien. It had been unintentional to find himself standing here like this, but upon leaving the stall it had been right there in front of him, and it he had felt compelled to linger. It felt like forever since he could stand in front of his own reflection without forcibly having to turn away after only a brief moment of looking at himself.

But now things were different. He _felt_ different. In fact he felt better than he had in years. He felt free. Unshackled and unfettered. Cleansed. Like he had been reborn, given a second chance at life, redeemed.

The slate wasn't completely clean. He knew that. You couldn't make up for years worth of coldness and animosity in a day's time. Maybe not even in several years time, but he was okay with that too. It might be a long time before he felt completely satisfied within this new skin of his, but he had his foot on the right path now. That old path of his that had become gnarled and twisted during his time in Australia, leaving him lost with an uncertain future, had been straightened and the future was a wide open blank space that he could make into any sort of canvas he wanted to.

That was all thanks to Haru and the rest of Iwatobi. They had really done a lot for him. He was looking forward to being able to repay them for it.

He stepped to the sink to wash his hands, tearing his eyes away from the mirror. The others were waiting for him. He couldn't stand there too long in introspection.

As the water coursed over his hands, vaguely through the wood of the door next to him he could hear someone's phone going off outside.

"Hello?" A girl's voice answered. "Hey, sis! Oh, no, don't worry it's not too late here! We're actually still at the dinner. Don't worry, don't worry, we won't be staying up much longer! We're leaving here in a just a moment. Oh but it was so nice! You'd be so jealous! I got to eat this thing called escargot! Its snails or muskrat or…something. It was actually pretty good!"

Rin turned off the water and reached for a towel.

"But I've got such great news!" the voice continued outside. "Do you remember my friend? The one who got married upon first arriving here."

_Married?_ Rin thought vaguely. It had to be someone older then. The girl outside barely sounded older than sixteen.

"Well, I think now they've decided to stay married! Isn't that great! I'm so excited for them!"

Rin tossed his paper towel in the trash. He moved for the door.

"If you ask me Gou-kun really lucked out!" said the voice. "Not everyone is so lucky to get such a cute husband like she did, you know!"

Rin froze. _What?_ Had she said Gou? Gou as in Gou Matsuoka? Gou Matsuoka as in his sister? No, he couldn't possibly have heard that right. Not _his_ Gou.

"And Mikoshiba-san too!" the voice continued on. "He's such a nice guy! He did this big fancy dinner for everyone, but I honestly think it was just for Gou's sake. No wonder she broke into the locker room to go after him! Oh but you know, he has a brother! If he's as cute as Mikoshiba-san then maybe I can marry him and then Gou and I could be sisters-in-law!" A peal of gay laughter.

Rin stared at the wood in the door, the words falling one by one into his skull like bones down the shaft of a well. _No._ There was no way. _Mikoshiba?_ No, that wasn't possible. Not _that_ Mikoshiba. Not _that_ one. That big loud mouth whimsical idiot. There was no way. There was no way! He had had an inkling about Mikoshiba's unsavory interest in his sister before, like sometimes getting an overwhelming urge to punch the idiot to the floor whenever he saw him talking to Gou, but he had never in a million years thought it went that far or that Gou _returned_ those feelings. There was no way Gou would _ever_ like someone like that.

And she sure as hell wouldn't marry him! Not _his_ Gou. She would never do such a thing. Never, ever. Gou would never—

Rin teetered on his feet. He stepped back, hand grasping for the wall. He felt like a man who had been in outer space for much too long only to be yanked back down to earth in a nanosecond, returned violently to reality.

He had known something strange had been going on. He knew it! Almost since the very moment they had arrived in this country he had felt something. The reason Samezuka and Iwatobi had been placed together for every damn thing the entire trip here, Mikoshiba and Gou _always_ being paired together, the bizarre and almost constant pounces of an overly affectionate Nagisa like he were trying to deter his attention, Makoto's very out of character kissing display at the industrial facility, how the whole of Iwatobi always seemed so intent on standing in front of Gou like they were trying to shield her, Gou's ring that she had started wearing like a wedding ring, Mikoshiba's constant smiling at her, the way he always went out of his way to greet her or stand close to her, the very reason _why_ they were here tonight.

Rin almost couldn't believe it. It was all so _obvious_. All this time the signs had been right there in front of his face. How the hell had he missed it all this time?!

Because, he realized, he had been so wrapped in himself. That was why. He had been so caught up in his own inner dilemma and turmoil that he hadn't been paying attention at all and had missed everything. He was such _an idiot._

He froze suddenly, another thought striking him. Could this be the reason why Gou had been looking so tired so often on this trip? Was it because of…

Rin's hand curled into a solid fist. _Mikoshiba!_ That son of a _bitch_! He was going to _kill_ that bastard.

He pushed the door to the bathroom fiercely open. The louder than usual sound of the door opening made the girl outside look up. Rin recognized her. One of the girls that he typically saw Gou with.

Her eyes widened when she caught sight of him. She let out a gasp, like she had been caught in the midst of doing something forbidden. She clutched the phone that she had been holding to her ear against her chest.

That was all the further confirmation Rin needed.

He stepped towards her. "Tell me," he growled, " _everything_ you know."

* * *

Seijuro stepped back inside the restaurant. The last of his swim team members were on their way back to the lodges now, having finally found enough cabs to take them all. He looked up in surprise when he saw Nakagawa standing in front of him. "Hey. What are you doing here? I didn't know you had decided to stick around."

Nakagawa shrugged one shoulder. "I was just waiting for everyone to leave to make sure they all left safely."

"They've all left now. That was the last of them."

" _You're_ still here."

_Oh._ Nakagawa had a point there. He smiled goofily. "Were you worried about me, Nakagawa-chan?'

Nakagawa made a face. "Please don't ever call me that again. And I'd have to be insane to _not_ worry."

Seijuro laughed. "Well, we'll be leaving here shortly. Now that everyone else is taken care of."

"Will you be leaving with Gou-san?"

"Of course!"

"I see." Nakagawa ran a hand through his hair. "Is that what you wanted to talk with Noro about?"

He had overheard Seijuro talking to the other boy, not that Seijuro particularly minded. "Yeah."

"He did seem a little uptight tonight. Does he not know about you two?"

That was a tricky question. In some ways Noro knew more than Nakagawa did, but at the same time he knew less. "Something like that. It…sort of got sprung on him." _That's one way of putting it._

"Well, I'm sure he'll understand once you explain it properly."

"M—maybe," said Seijuro, fighting another laugh. He couldn't help but imagine it was going to be hilarious seeing Noro's reaction to Seijuro's revelation, and anyway Noro deserved it after crashing his swimming date with Gou. He was certain Noro had sure gotten a kick out of his reaction upon catching the other boy trying to break into the pool with those girls. It was only fair that Seijuro get him back for that.

Someone moved at the other end of the hallway and Seijuro turned his head. "Oh, Matsuoka." He hadn't expected the other boy to still be here. "Do you need a cab called for you?"

No immediate answer came. Rin only stood there, his arms held stiffly away from his body, shoulders moving like he was breathing harshly. His hair had fallen forward to hide his face.

Seijuro cocked his head. Even from this far away there was a tense charged energy to him, like a bow string ready to snap.

"Something wrong, Matsuoka?" asked Nakagawa.

Rin spoke and when he did it was bitten out, harsh like a curse. "Y—you."

That was all he had managed, but it was enough, and when he started marching towards them his gait was purposeful, measured with intent and Seijuro knew there was only one possibility as to why Matsuoka would be approaching him in such a state. He turned to face the other boy fully.

_Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later._

* * *

Around the head of the table the four Iwatobi boys were standing in a clump. They were all gathered around Makoto. And in Makoto's hand he held the check.

"This is…"

"Mikoshiba-san really gave us…" Rei was just as speechless as Makoto. Next to them Haru sort of resembled the fish he loved so much. His eyes looked like they were nearly going to bulge out of his head.

Nagisa let out a laugh. He shook Makoto's shoulder, making the check jerk like a flag caught in the wind. "Sei-chan!" he exclaimed. "Gou-chan, did you use sexual appeal to get this?!"

_What kind of…_ She resisted the urge to fling a napkin at his head. "No!" Or at least…she didn't _think_ she had _._ She bit on a nail.

"But why would he give us such a thing?" Makoto couldn't tear his eyes away from the paper. "I mean, all this money…Why would he…"

"It's because Sei-chan loves us!" Nagisa proclaimed.

Makoto didn't look convinced by this logic. "There's no way it would be okay to give us something like this. Seijuro couldn't possibly…"

"He wouldn't offer it if it wasn't okay," spoke up Haru, who had managed to piece back together his usual cool expression and speak in his usual bored tones. "That's just the kind of person Seijuro is."

_Seijuro?_ Haru had never called the Samezuka captain _that_ before. Gou turned her face away so he wouldn't see her smile.

"Haru's right!" Nagisa agreed. "Plus Sei-chan's our friend! Friends are supposed to help each other!"

"Not to mention it is likely his way of thanking us," Rei said thoughtfully, hand around his chin. "For everything that's happened this summer, I mean. It would make sense that he would want to repay us in some way."

That was true, wasn't it? Funny, Gou hadn't thought of that before. After all the Iwatobi boys had done to help them this summer Seijuro would want to pay them back in some way. Giving them the means to continue their training in winter was exactly that. Seijuro was enabling them in their time of need.

_That guy…_

Her smile was too big. If Hana-chan came back from the bathroom and saw her she'd likely accuse her of thinking something perverted or something.

"Well..." Makoto began hesitantly. He looked back down at the check in his hand. After a moment, he smiled. "I suppose we'll have to repay Seijuro by giving him another good race, won't we?"

There were sounds of excitement and agreement from the others. "Yay, Mako-chan!" "Makoto-senpai!" Rei might cry.

"Then!" Nagisa grabbed the check and held it up towards the ceiling as if searching for hidden markings. "What should we use the money on?!"

"We can't decide that yet!" sniffled Rei. "We need to talk to Ama-chan sensei first! Not to mention we'll need to make a budget and balance credentials and possibly look into stock options—"

Makoto's smile became a little strained. "I—I don't think we'll need to go that far…"

"I'm the treasurer!" Nagisa exclaimed suddenly, eyes sparkling as though he had just remembered this. "That means I get to decide what we do with the money!"

"That's not how it works!"

"Pools," said Haru.

Gou turned away, leaving the four to their hijinks. They'd figure out what to do with the money later. Once they were back home she'd research pools to rent or gym memberships. Although, if they got to use the Samezuka pool as much as Seijuro said they could then maybe they wouldn't need to do so.

"Gou!"

She looked up. "Hana-chan?" It sounded a lot like her, but unusually high and panicked. The only other time Gou could recall her sounding like that had been right before they had been flung into the ocean during that storm.

The next second Hana came careening around the corner. "Gou!" She flung herself at Gou. "I'm so sorry!"

"Hana-chan!" Gou barely managed to steady her without falling out of her chair. "What the heck are you doing?!"

At the head of the table the boys had halted their discussion of the money.

"Oh, Gou, I'm so sorry!" Hana cried. "It's all my fault! I'm so sorry!"

" _What_ are you talking about? What's your fault?" Had she managed to flood the bathroom somehow? Found a dead body in the toilet? Drugs?

The next words Hana gasped out were much, much worse however.

"Your brother." Hana swallowed. "Your brother. I didn't know he was in the bathroom! H—he overheard me on the phone with my sister, and I—I…"

Gou stood frozen. Around her heart circled an icy hand.

"I didn't mean to tell him!" wailed Hana/ "But he was _so_ scary! I was too scared to not tell him the truth! So I told him!"

Gou lifted herself out of her seat. There was no sign of her brother approaching their table. If he was going anywhere besides here then he would be going for…

Gou's eyebrows lowered. If that was the case...

_Then there's no time to waste, is there?_

"Gou, I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine," said Gou, meaning it. "It's not your fault."

If it was anyone's fault it was her's _._ Rei had been right. She should have told her brother ages ago. Dancing around it for so long had been foolish.

_Well, no helping that now._ The only thing she could do now was to tell the truth. The whole truth.

_Time to tell brother everything._

* * *

Gou marched down the hall like a soldier going into battle. A soldier wearing a fancy dress and high heels into battle no less.

_Whoops._

Oh, well. Her attire wasn't all that important and it wasn't like she had much choice in the matter. She'd look fabulous doing whatever she needed to do besides.

The others followed behind her. She could hear them muttering amongst themselves – "Rin knows!"— but she didn't pay them much mind. She was only focused on one thing.

She had long thought what would happen once her brother found out about the marriage. Previously she had worried about an altercation between Seijuro and Rin, concerned of what Rin might do, and what might happen. She knew her brother well enough to know what he would try to do.

But now she wasn't scared. She was only determined, undaunted, like she had been playing a very long and complicated video game and was finally drawing to its final conclusive battle bringing it to its end at last.

There was no way she was going to let Rin do whatever he wanted. Not to Seijuro. Never, ever. Whatever her brother tried to do she would definitely stop him.

She rounded the corner. _Well, guess I can't stop everything when I'm not here._

On the ground sat Seijuro. His back was against the wall and across his face splattered some blood. One of his eyes looked to be in the process of turning itself into a not so pretty purplish color. Rin must have already punched him once or twice, and above him stood said puncher, fist cocked to punch again, veins standing out against his skin. Oddly there wasn't a single mark on Rin at all. Seijuro had not punched him back.

Near the entrance to the restaurant stood Nakagawa, stunned and looking way out of his league out of knowing how to deal with this. _Poor guy._ Hearing about the marriage must have been just as shocking for him. He probably had no idea who had done what to whom and whose fault was what.

Gou yelled out. "Stop that!" she commanded. "That's my husband!"

Rin barely paid much mind to her sudden entrance or declaration. "I _know!"_ he emphasized. " _Why_ do you think I'm doing this?!" He kicked at Seijuro's side, eliciting a grunt from the other.

"Stop that!" Gou commanded once again. "It isn't what you think! You don't know the whole story!"

"I—I don't know the whole story?!" Rin was incredulous. "He took advantage of my sweet innocent baby sister, the son of a bitch! Getting you drunk and then tricking you into marriage! I'm going to pound his face in."

"You already have!"

"Well, I'm going to do it _more_!" Rin turned around, ready to demonstrate said expression.

Gou raced forward. In her pretty dress and heels she flung herself atop Seijuro. "No! You can't!"

"I can't?! What the hell do you mean I can't?! This pissant took advantage of you!"

"He didn't! You don't know what you're talking about!"

Rin's eyebrows lowered. "Move, Gou."

"No!"

"Why the hell not?!"

"Because!" said Gou. She faltered, her mind searching for a more sufficient reason than 'just because'.

Well, she had promised herself she would tell her brother the truth, hadn't she, the whole truth? It was time to do just that.

"Because I love him!"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out longer than expected so there may be another chapter. Right now I'm aiming for one more chapter plus an epilogue but depending on length that might change (and hopefully the update won't take nearly half a year again).


	34. Warmth Redux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who says I never update my fics! I have been super, super busy these last few months (including flooding, going overseas, buying a new car, and relatives visiting to name a few) so I've had very little time to write. Not to mention this chapter was a bit...harder to write than the others. This chapter is where this fic finally earns some of it's M rating.

Inside the house Gou tested the temperature of the water spewing from the spout into the large bowl below. Should it be hotter or colder? She really had no idea. She wasn't exactly an expert in first aid, and while she had studied up on certain sport injuries that could occur, such as sore shoulders and pulled hamstrings and the like, she certainly hadn't read anything on how to treat black eyes. Never before would she have thought of something like that occurring.

After a moment she compromised and settled on a lukewarm temperate. More than likely whatever she picked would work. She hoped anyway. Not that it was any sort of life threatening injury, she reminded herself. Snagging a fresh hand towel, she headed into the living room.

Seijuro was on the couch. A bag of ice was on face, one of the first acts of first aid Gou had administrated when they had arrived back here. She set her instruments down on the table. "How's your eye feeling?"

"Cold," Seijuro answered right away.

"I mean, does it hurt?"

"Nah," he replied flippantly. "Your brother's not very good at punching. Doesn't hit hard at all." He attempted to smile but that only made him flinch, turning his smile into a grimace.

Was he trying to act tough so she wouldn't feel guilty? Probably. Any other injury, even the slightest boo-boo, and he'd likely blow it way out of proportion so she'd fawn over him she imagined. Not that she was complaining. Kissing a few scraped knees or stubbed fingers better didn't sound bad.

"Well, let's get you cleaned up. It'll probably look better once we get that blood off your face."

"Does the blood on my face not make me look cool?" asked Seijuro, still compiling and lowering the ice bag so she could see.

Gou laughed a little. "Let's just say you look cool all the time and leave it at that."

"Good answer."

He tilted his head back when she moved over to him with the wet towel. She had to get close to him, practically hovering over him to properly inspect his face, and tried in vain to ignore the closeness of him. The heat from his legs was on either side of her, and against her leg she felt the brush of his right hand on top of his thigh. He had changed out of his nice clothes as soon as they had gotten home, not wanting to endanger getting any blood on them, and now he wore nothing but a pair of loose fitting pajama bottoms. He had opted to go shirtless, not wanting to get any blood on any other shirt either. Normally Gou would have been more than appreciative of that choice of clothing (or lack thereof to be more accurate) but right now it was quite a bit more than distracting.

Not that she was exactly helping herself with her style of dress either. She had changed into pajamas as well, wanting to be in something comfortable and not wrinkle her dress. She no longer had any qualms about wearing pajamas in front of Seijuro, but standing so close to him now with him in nothing but pajama bottoms, Gou was painfully aware of how little she too was wearing. She hadn't even bothered to put on a bra…

She grit her teeth. This was no time to be worrying about such things! She had a job to do. Even if the muscles from his exposed chest did look really, really good in the lamp light. Really, really good. And close enough she could easily run her hands over them.

Focus! she screamed at herself. Shaking her head slightly, she leaned over him to perform her inspection. He had stopped bleeding. The blood that remained on him had been from earlier, and it had dried and hardened. She tilted his face gently from one side to the next, his gaze following her all the while. Overall it was not as bad as she had feared. Her brother hadn't damaged him all that much.

Though her intervention may have had something to do with that. Her intervention that had taken all the wind out of Rin's sails, along with all his will to fight. After Gou's sudden explosive confession he had only stood there limp and unresponsive, as though he had encountered something he had no idea how to contend with. He hadn't been given a chance to recover, as in the next instant the Iwatobi boys had crowded around him. Haru had gone to him first, the others swiftly following, and Gou and Seijuro had quickly made their exit. Gou doubted her brother would have tried anything further, but it had been best to get away from there and separate in order to allow time for things to settle down.

Poor Hana and the girls had been near hysterical as they gathered on the curb. Gou had only been able to speak to them briefly, trying to reassure them everything was fine whilst Nakagawa had handed Seijuro a mountain of napkins he had mysteriously retrieved from somewhere, Seijuro holding them to his bloody nose and turning them crimson red. It was no wonder they had been hysterical, seeing something like that. If Gou was in their place she'd likely have been the same. At least Nakagawa had been with them. He'd make sure they got home safely. He was pragmatic and sensible like that.

Not that he was very far from being in hysterics himself, she thought a little reproachfully. She sighed internally. What a mess the night had turned into! They had wanted to make it count and it had ended up like this. Seijuro punched in the face and her brother throwing the most epic of hissy fits in an effort to defend her honor or something. Under different circumstances she might have been a bit appreciative of her brother's sudden protectiveness. Knowing he was concerned about her well being and that some guy wasn't trying to take advantage of her would have been sweet. However hauling off and socking her husband in the face wasn't exactly very sweet. Especially without getting the whole story from her first.

Brother's always been like that though. He always acted before he thought. Just like Haru had said. At least it's all over now. Now the truth was out. Rin finally knew about what she had been hiding from him these past three months. No more having to walk around on egg shells worried what would happen if she made one wrong move. That devil on her shoulder, that constant concern about her secret, had finally been knocked off. There would be no more need to hide now.

She would have to talk to him later. Of that there was no doubt. She'd have to explain things to him properly, like she should have done earlier as Rei had suggested. But for now Haru and the others would take care of him. They would be tell him what exactly had happened, the how and why. They would know how best to handle him. And besides, she had her own person to take care.

"It's not bad," she said after a moment of appraisal. "Looks like your eye took the brunt of it." Outside of that he only had some very minor bruising and a scratch on the cheek.

"Is my eye red?" asked Seijuro.

"A little."

"Awesome." For some reason hearing this seemed to make him happy. He prodded gingerly around it. "Maybe I can pretend to be half ghoul for a few days."

"Half ghoul?"

"I bet I can scare Noro good with it."

She had no idea what he was talking about. Carefully, she scrubbed away the last of the blood with the washcloth. "Sorry it happened this way. Brother's always been a bit…over exuberant. I should have told him earlier then this wouldn't have happened."

"You have nothing to apologize for." Seijuro flinched a little as she ran the washcloth underneath his eye. "You can't be held responsible for your brother's behavior. And telling him sooner would have only gotten me punched that much sooner. They were taking pictures at the competition, for the newspaper, I think. It would have been terrible if I had a black eye then. They'd have thought I was some sort a hooligan."

"Don't you mean a red eye?"

"Even worse. Then I'd be a hooligan and possibly on drugs."

She smiled a little. He was making awful light of the situation but in the end it was all likely just to make her feel better. "By the way, did my brother say anything to you? I mean before he…you know…"

"He said 'you' and looked really pissed off."

"That's all?"

"No." Seijuro seemed to consider. "I think he said something about me being a son of a bitch and taking advantage of you."

Well, she should have expected that. Her brother would jump to that sort of conclusion. Not that she could exactly blame him. If their positions had been reversed she might have thought the same thing. Though she likely wouldn't have punched his partner in the face without questioning him first. "Did you say anything back to him?"

"I asked him if it was really so bad having me as a brother-in-law."

"O—oh, my god." Gou's half-laugh half-groan sounded more like she was getting hit in the stomach. It was a miracle Rin hadn't internally combusted after hearing that comment. Or killed Seijuro for that matter. "I can't believe you said that. Is that when he punched you?"

"No, he had punched me before then. I think that made him punch me again though."

"Honestly," Gou let out a breath. Leave it to Seijuro to purposely antagonize the guy assaulting him. "Why'd you let him beat you like that anyway? You should have punched him back. I mean I would have."

"He's your precious brother," said Seijuro. "What kind of boyfr—" He stopped. His gaze flickered to the lamp to the side

Was he really stopping over that? Gou almost couldn't believe it. Then again…they had never proclaimed such a title before had they? Much less referred to themselves as the other's.

"You can say it." When he looked back to her Gou raised her eyebrows as if to say it was no big deal, even though she could feel her face heating.

He wet his lips. "W—what kind of boyfriend would I be if I did something like that?" he finished.

Boyfriend? She frowned a little. Was that really what he was to her? She thought again of what she had pondered at dinner, about what would happen with their marriage once they got to Japan. She hadn't known then but she felt she did now.

She coughed a little to try to loosen her suddenly tight throat. "I—I was thinking by the way..." She tried to ignore the thundering in her chest. "About when we get back home…I was thinking maybe we don't have to get divorced right away. Maybe we could wait instead and see how it goes."

He was looking at her, but it was her gaze that flickered away this time, her eyes trained with an almost fierce conviction on the couch fibers.

There was a long moment of silence. "A—are you sure?"

Gou opened her mouth to respond but already he was ploughing on. "I mean, I just know you always wanted to get divorced before. Which I totally understand and it's fine! Having to explain to your mother that you're suddenly married and explaining to your classmates that you went on vacation and got married to some guy they never met before all of a sudden. That would be hard for anyone to do—"

"Are you afraid to tell them?"

Seijuro's jaw snapped shut. Maybe he hadn't expected her to turn his comment back on him. "No," he answered in almost three seconds flat. "I was actually looking forward to telling them."

Gou smiled. Somehow he always knew the right thing to say. Or maybe it was just because he always spoke the truth when it came to his feelings for her, and all those feelings happened to be good. He had always been that way towards her.

She kissed him. A brief kiss, one quick enough he didn't get a chance to respond to. "Same for me too."

They could always get divorced later if they wanted to. Knowing that option would be available to them, available and free to use if they ever so desired, made her feel reassured. She wasn't going to be stuck in something she didn't want. Now she would be part of their relationship because she wanted to be, not because she had to be. And that made all the difference.

He smiled. That smile that made Gou feel like she was the entire world. But this time it looked like he had been the one to receive it instead.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Let's stay married then."

He pulled her in for a proper kiss, one which Gou was more than happy to oblige. Looking back, it was slightly funny how she had worried so about Seijuro trying to kiss her again. Now she wanted him to try and kiss her as much as possible.

She moved her hands to the side of his face, tilting his head up slightly to deepen the kiss. The washcloth had tumbled forgotten to the side. It lay on the couch, likely getting the fabric wet, but at the moment Gou just couldn't bring herself to care quite enough to bother with it.

She felt his right hand, the one that had been brushing against her thigh, curl around the back of it. Her heart sped up to an unbelievable pace, breath quickening at the intimate touch. She had only meant to kiss him once but now found herself unable to stop.

The sound of his breath slightly hitching turned her knees to jelly. Somehow being slightly above him only made it more exciting. Maybe because he was so much taller than her and for once she had the height advantage. Or maybe it was learning that with a few simple acts she could make his breath stutter so, his heartbeat to thunder. Seijuro had always managed to keep his calm in almost any situation. Being able to entice him so, to rouse the great steadfast Samezuka captain into being anything but calm felt strangely empowering.

Gou's shins bumped into the couch edge. She glanced down at the sudden obstacle. She hadn't even realized she had leaned forward. Without thinking about it she lifted her leg. She moved to slide it over his thigh, and Seijuro shifted, moving his own legs closer together for her.

"Is that alright?" he asked her, even though she was the one moving.

"Yes." She wanted to be closer to him. She straddled his waist, her behind on his thighs.

He took advantage of the close proximity to kiss along her cheek, to her jawline and to her neck. His breath was hot and heavy against her skin and Gou's eyes fluttered shut at the new sensation. Her hand was in his hair, and her grip tightened when she felt his teeth. It was not enough to leave a mark – Makoto would have just died if he saw such a thing, and her brother would likely experience a seizure – but enough that Gou could feel herself starting to lose her grip on reality.

Through the thin fabric of her shirt his hot skin was against her breasts. It gave her the unmistakable desire to throw off the flimsy barrier. To truly feel him against her chest. She swallowed hoarsely.

His hands slid up and down her back to her waist then faltered there. They hovered, tentative and hesitant, and with a sudden start Gou realized he didn't want to push her too far. He was holding back, trying not to go too far and make her uncomfortable.

Not that that he could exactly control certain other things from…popping up. His erection was straining the material of his pants and when he shifted a bit she couldn't tell if it were for his comfort or hers. With an effort she tried not to stare. How long had it been that he had been holding back his desire, she wondered. Holding it back for her sake. Knowing that he had wanted her, wanted her like this, but had been holding back for her sake somehow only made her want him all the more.

"Y—you can…you can." She swallowed. She felt like she was going to burst into flame just saying the words. "It's fine if you touch me."

Seijuro leaned back slightly to look at her. His pupils were utterly blown, the gold of his irises becoming all but a thin circle, and even with his bruised cheek and reddish eye he looked so disheveled and handsome she almost couldn't take it. "A—are you sure?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How many times was he going to ask her that? He was always double checking, always trying to think of her first. He had always been doing that, hadn't he?

At this moment she wished he wouldn't. She wanted his hands on her but she didn't want to have to spell it out either, that was just too embarrassing.

Well, in that case…She had no choice but to show him, didn't she?

She kissed him, hot and heavy, trying to communicate with her lips, tongue, and teeth, what she couldn't put into words. She pressed against him, forcefully enough that it could not be mistaken for any sort of coincidence. Her mouth and body could voice her desires in other ways.

Thankfully it didn't take long for him to catch on, and finally she felt his hands fully on her. His hands moved up and down her sides, then underneath her shirt. His thumbs brushed against her, nearly against the sides of her breasts and she shuddered. She never would have guessed how such a simple touch as that could affect her so. Her skin felt almost hypersensitive, every brush and touch amplified to a startling degree.

As if reading her body language, he moved his hands back up. Much more slowly this time and when he reached her sides parallel with her breasts he paused. He moved his thumbs, making soft slow circles across her skin.

Gou sucked in a breath. He was very quiet, perhaps listening intently for her breathing, every shutter and catch of breath, reading her unspoken signs. His hand slipped further forward, perhaps emboldened by her reaction, and he cupped her right breast. His thumb ran across her nipple.

The temperature of the room that had felt almost chilly before was now stifling. Gou was much too hot. Between her legs she could feel that same feeling she had experienced that night in the hotel when watching that porn. That dull ache that was almost painful. She pressed against him, seeking some sort of friction - any friction – to try and relieve the painful ache and against her private areas she felt his erection. Not sure what to do, she experimentally tried moving. The lance of pleasure that went through at the contact was unexpected. Her eyelids fluttered at the intensity of it.

From Seijuro there came a bitten back groan. She felt him swallow more than saw it. His hips twitched forward beginning a rhythm neither of them was familiar with but eager to find out. He kissed her, a bit messily, breathing harshly through his mouth and around his neck she wrapped her arms. His hands moved down to grab her ass, pulling her closer to him, pressing her against him. She ground against him, seeking something even she wasn't sure what it was. She could hear slight groan of the abused sofa underneath them but even that she found exciting, the thrill of discovery overwriting any hesitation or embarrassment at either's lack of experience.

Across her side his hand moved. The movement was steady but slow, as though giving her time to protest if she so wanted, then his hand dipped between them, to the junction between her legs. Gou let out a breath. The new sensation was enjoyable but not quite tantalizing enough. It was almost like receiving a massage. A very nice massage but not enough for what she wanted.

Seijuro's hand moved his hand up to the hem of Gou's shorts. He hooked his fingers there. "Is it alright—"

"Yes."

He kissed her and he slipped his hand inside her shorts. His fingers rubbed against her, brushing against her clit, and the sudden intimate touch slammed into her like the force of a battering ram. She shuddered, a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a whine echoing out of her throat. Her hips twitched of their own violation. His finger slipped in further and Seijuro swallowed thickly. "God." His voice was a groan. "You're so wet."

The blunt lascivious observation made her blush, yet at the same time found it strangely complimentary.

He moved his hand, tentatively exploring between her folds, and his fingertips pressed just slightly at her entrance. Gou bit her lip. She almost bucked her hips forward to drive his finger further. This teasing was almost torture.

Seijuro turned his head to kiss along her neck. His hand slowed its administrations, the movements becoming more calculated, sliding almost excruciatingly slowly along her slit to her entrance. He paused for a brief moment and then pressed a finger inside her.

"Nng." She twitched. The sensation was strange, the feeling of something tangible and, well, belonging to someone else inside her. Not unwelcome but alien, and she shifted her hips a bit to adjust to this new sensation. Then Seijuro pressed his finger in deeper and any thoughts of adjusting flew completely out of her head.

She gasped. "Fuck."

She heard a slight chuckle from Seijuro. Her sudden potty mouth must have amused him, but she was far too distracted to pay much attention to his expletive sense of humor.

Her hips bucked, moving in an attempt to push that finger in further. Her hand almost shot down to grab his wrist and press his hand forward, but then his finger curled inside her, and she shuddered. She clung to him, her anchor whilst the feelings of pleasure lanced up through her groin. Her breathing was erratic, not that she had really noticed, and against her ear she could hear his own labored breathes, punctuated by a gulping swallow.

He slipped in another finger, and his hips moved almost as if to match the strokes of his fingers. Gou met his thrusts. They ground against each other, moving nearly in tune with the other, a desperate charge towards a pleasurable peak, and it suddenly occurred to Gou that this was fairly close to what it be like if they were to have sex. What it would be like if his dick was inside her rather than his fingers. That image forming in her head was enough to send her completely over the edge.

"Ah." She felt the tightening in her abdomen and thighs, and suddenly she was shuddering and moaning before she could realize it. The jolts of pleasure flowed through her like lightning, like a thousand different sparklers erupting inside her all at once. They swept her away and she couldn't think of anything anymore, only feel as her lower body contracted in rhythmic waves, once, twice, thrice.

In near desperation she yanked Seijuro's hand away. If he kept touching her there she might fall apart. Her skin down there felt way too sensitive.

She leaned her head into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply, basking in the afterglow as she inhaled that familiar smell of sun and wind, her heartbeat slowing it's thundering behind her breastbone. Seijuro stroked her hair, kissing her on her temple. He was incredibly warm. Not like the warmth from before, that burning lava flow, but something soft and scared, comforting, like he was all the shelter she needed above her.

It was a little strange. He could entice such warmth in her, bring her to the point of burning and over, then bring her back down with his own comforting warmth. But he had always been that way, hadn't he? That night at the bar she had been just as enthralled by how many different sides existed in him. She still was. Thisside of him she was finding to be quite thrilling.

Under her Seijuro shifted a little and she felt something that made her brows furrow. She looked down. Oh yeah. He was still quite aroused. She could easily see that. She had nearly forgotten amidst all the frenzy of before. She had gotten her release but Seijuro had certainly not achieved his. Her eyes narrowed. Her mother had said you were supposed to do everything half and half in order to make a whole when you were married. That applied to this same sort of situation too, didn't it?

She reached down. She grabbed his dick.

Seijuro nearly shot out of his chair. Good thing he didn't completely, as Gou would have been dumped to the floor. "Wh—what—"

Gou quickly drew her hand back. "Sorry!" Had she done it wrong somehow? She didn't exactly have much experience with handling someone's dick. Anyone's dick. What if she had done something weird? "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"N—no." His cheeks were actually turning red. "It just—surprised me." His cheeks were nearly as red as his eye now.

After what they had just done and he was embarrassed about her touching his dick? She couldn't believe it. Then again she hadn't given him much forewarning before suddenly grabbing it. He's definitely a virgin alright. She had wondered about that before but now she was certain. Somehow knowing that made her strangely happy. "We don't have to…If you don't want to that is, if you don't like it—"

"No. I mean yes, yes I do like it." Gou was concerned he might explode if he turned any redder. "But, y—you don't have to—If you don't want to—"

"I want to."

Those three words were enough to shut him up. Gou glanced down. She moved her hand but stopped just shy. "I'm going to touch it now," she informed him.

Seijuro buried his face in his hand. "P—please don't narrate."

Gou couldn't help it. She laughed. Seijuro shot her a look from between his fingers.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She waved her hands. The mirth made her feel lighter, relaxed, her insecurity falling away. She may not know what she was doing but they could certainly figure it out. Together.

She leaned forward to kiss him, coaxing him into something more familiar, kissing him until she heard his breath become as hot and quick as before. Her own blood was hotly spiking, but she pushed that aside. Her own desire could wait for a bit, even if she were surprised at how voraciously it was coming up again.

She moved her hand, guiding herself with touch. She rubbed against his bulge, running up his shaft to his tip. His breath shuttered. Encouraged, she moved her hand, learning with her touch and his reactions what she didn't know with knowledge. Prior to this trip she hadn't thought much about giving any sort of handjob and while she was aware of the general technique with the fabric of his pants in the way she couldn't properly see what she was doing, nor get a prop grip. She could tell she wouldn't be achieving much like this. She could stick her hands underneath his clothes but that wouldn't permit her much room to really move.

She cleared her throat. "C—can you pull down your pants?" Her cheeks burned slightly. She would have preferred to have just done it herself without asking but in their current position with her atop him she couldn't.

"Yeah." Seijuro complied almost a little too eagerly. All that embarrassment from before had completely vanished. Apparently there was no timidness for him when it came to nakedness. Then again he normally ran around in a speedo. Gou shouldn't have expected any less.

Gou lifted up slightly so he could remove his pants. He pushed them down to somewhere around his knees and since he was absent underwear once he pulled them down he was fully exposed.

Gou stared. She blinked, once, twice. She swallowed.

Well…it wasn't just big shoes guys with big feet had, as her brother had joked about all those years ago. Turns out they had both been right.

I really am a pervert.

Tentatively she gave him a stroke. From Seijuro she heard an intake of breath. It was an encouraging sound. She tightened her hold and moved her hand. She was sure it was awkward, but it didn't seem to matter all that much to Seijuro, who began to pant harshly. Still, she was concerned about chafing, or whatever it was she had heard guys talk about needing lube for when they masturbated, and since there was no lube within the vicinity she pulled back her hand and spat into it. At the action Seijuro gave her such a look of shocked adoration that she made a mental note to remember it for later. The added slickness made the movements easier, and when she moved her hand up and down his cock he gave such a low gasp she could feel her own carnality responding in turn. She moved her hand, but after a few moments she began to feel the pain in her wrist. The angle was not very good where she was sitting atop him, but she was afraid of moving too much and having something terrible happen. If she accidentally kneed him in the crotch he'd likely never let her near his dick ever again.

Her arm was starting to get tired. She could feel the burn of exertion. She was sort of regretting not doing those exercises along with the guys during the training camp now. Apparently she wasn't in as good a shape as she had thought.

Should I try putting it in my mouth? She was considering it when Seijuro suddenly moved his hand. He placed it just below the head of his penis. He began to stroke himself, using a slight twist of his wrist at the very top that Gou would have thought to be painful. She pulled back to let him, watching in near fascination as he got himself off. Watching him do such a thing was like getting to watch something forbidden and taboo, something that nobody else got to see. Having Seijuro do such a private and sensual act in front of her without a hint of hesitation was almost enough to make her start squirming. Hana is never going to believe this.

His breath became incredibly fast and choppy. The muscles in his abdomen constrained, a sheen of sweat splaying across them, and she knew he had to be close when his eyes suddenly snapped open. He looked hurriedly about himself as if seeking something and Gou blinked at the strange reaction. Gaze settling on something, he leaned partly over, grabbing for the sheet crumpled on the couch. He covered himself with it and almost instantly shuddered, breath hitching, and underneath her Gou could feel his muscles tightening. He curled forward briefly then fell back against the couch, head falling back. He breathed deeply, body sagging like he had lost all his bones. Gou couldn't think of a time she had ever heard him breathe so hard. Not during swimming or even when they had been doing those exercises at the training camp that had nearly killed Nagisa. She really liked that raspy sound.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I wasn't very good."

Seijuro let out a ghost of a chuckle. "You did great."

His voice was a little hoarse. It was doing things to Gou that weren't exactly proper.

"Shit."

That wasn't quite as sexy a reaction as she would have liked. She glanced up to see Seijuro looking down into his lap. Oh. The sheet he had used to cover himself. It was the same sheet he used to make his bed the couch. It had been rather nice of him to stop himself from potentially ejaculating into her face, but now those sheets were about as unclean as Gou could imagine they would ever become.

"There's not another clean set, is there?"

"No." He frowned. "The only other set is on the bed."

In that case Gou felt it was pretty obvious what they should do. "Guess you'll have to sleep in the bed then."

"No way," protested Seijuro. "I'm not going to make you sleep here. Especially not with this, this is mine—"

"Not like that," Gou laughed. "I meant we could sleep in the bed together." She had brought up before him sleeping in the bed, though never like this, and when he looked at her she shrugged.

"There's no reason for us not to, is there?" she asked, trying to quell the sudden butterflies in her stomach. "We're married after all."

He stared at her a moment longer and she was afraid he was going to refuse like he had all those other times before when she had offered him the bed, when he smiled. That smile she loved so much. "Well, if you insist." The words were playful.

"I do."

He kissed her. A short kiss that was not full of passion but tenderness. He leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "I love you, Kou."

Against her she could feel his warmth, seeping all the way through her down into her heart. That warmth she had felt since their first fateful night in this country when they had begun their wayward adventure that had lead them here, their future together spread out shining before them.

She closed her eyes. She smiled.

"Call me Gou."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One to two chapters left to go!


	35. Marriage Redux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who says I never finish my fics?! It's been...a year, I think? Two? Anyway I'm not dead! I experienced a pretty rotten knee injury this last year, went through a merger with my job, and had family move into town so it's been busy to say the least! My free time had been pretty limited so writing took an unfortunate very far backseat. But I never forgot about this fic and I've always been determined to finish it! I finally had enough free time to do so, so please enjoy!

Seijuro had a dream that night.

He was standing and in front of him was Gou. She was all wicked smiles and toothy grins, the same sort of expression her brother might wear after he had conquered a hard race. Against his forehead she smashed an egg, and then kissed him fiercely as the yolk dripped down his face.

Maybe Noro had been right, Seijuro would reflect later. Sometimes when trying to break an egg you really did have to smash it.

It was one of the best dreams he ever had.

* * *

With a grunt, Gou dragged the last of her luggage into the living room. Panting slightly, she stretched backwards, pressing her hands against the small of her back. Who knew packing would be so difficult!  _This is what I get for waiting till the last minute to do it._ Yesterday she had been reluctant to put too much away as she was afraid she might need it for the dinner. Her plan had been to do the majority of her packing after they had returned but that hadn't happened. She had been far too busy with nursing Seijuro and then…other things. Packing had been the furthest thing from her mind then. Not to mention Seijuro and her had woken up late this morning after having stayed up way too late doing those…other things. And getting up too late after staying in bed too long doing more…other things.

Her cheeks burned slightly. She fanned herself, faintly glad Seijuro was outside so he wouldn't see her blushing like a fool. Then again if he did walk in she could always blame it on the heat and her exertion from dragging her luggage around she supposed.

At least _this_  time when waking up in the same sleeping space as Seijuro she could remember exactly how she had gotten there and why. Waking up next to him and actually remembering doing so was actually quite…nice. In the future she hoped to do more of it.

"That everything?" Seijuro stepped back inside from where he had been dropping off her luggage by the curve.

"I think so!" She looked down at the last piece of flower covered baggage on the living room floor. Once this was gone the house would be back to its original state. There would be no evidence that the two of them had lived here for a good three months. All the evidence of what they had shared in that time here would be erased.

_Well…except for the bed sheets that is…_ They hadn't had time to wash them. In the end they had chosen to throw them away. "W—we'll just tell them we lost them or something," Seijuro had said, cheeks colored slightly red as he had thrown them in the garbage. Gou had been more than happy to agree with him. She'd rather get scolded and pay for some extra sheets than leave those behind. She'd have died if someone else had come upon them.

"Good thing we made it, just in time too." Seijuro checked his phone. "The cab should be here any second now. I'll go wait out front."

"Okay!"

He moved to go back through the door then he seemed to think better of it, coming back to kiss her before departing.

It was amazing how much Gou found she liked kissing him and how often she wanted to. Like when he had gotten out of the shower, after he gave her coffee, after he had carried her luggage from the bedroom to the living room. Kissing him was something she felt like she would never tire of.

_Maybe this is just what love is like._ She smiled.

A lot had happened here. From her first night in this country when she had gotten drunkenly married to her last night when she knew she had truly found something worth keeping. More so than any swimming competition or cash prize, Gou felt like she had won something far more precious. Everyone else was sure to feel the same way too. From Amakata and Goro down to all of the Samezuka members. Including her brother.

In some ways this strange place with its archaic laws, morbid history, wacky tv shows, and crazy politics would always remain etched in her heart. Something she would look back on with amused fondness. Inside her bag she had packed their schedules alongside the marriage certificate, mementos to remember this place by. She didn't want to forget.

"Gou," Seijuro called her from outside. "The cab's pulling up."

"Coming!" Gou hefted the last piece of luggage. With one last glance at the now empty house, she turned to step through the doorway. Waiting for them was a plane ride back home. A mere hop, skip and a jump to the future.

Gou smiled once more. She was really looking forward to it.

* * *

All of Iwatobi and the debate team were waiting for them at the drop off area when their cab pulled up. The first voice that greeted Gou when she opened the cab door was Nagisa's. "You're late, Gou-chan!"

"Sorry!" She stumbled out of the cab, blurrily rubbed an eye. She had dozed off against Seijuro's shoulder on the car ride over. If she was lucky she'd be so tired she'd actually be able to sleep on the long place ride regardless of Ama-chan trying to plant her hand in her face.

"Sei-chan!" Nagisa continued on to the other occupant of the cab. "Your face doesn't look too bad at all!"

"Of course not!" Seijuro raised his arms in a flex. "Matsuoka doesn't hit hard at all!"

"See, I told you, Rei-chan! Rin-chan could never hurt Sei-chan! Sei-chan's way too tough for that!"

"That's what I said!" Seijuro almost looked to be preening.

"P—perhaps we should have that conversation later." Makoto's smile was strained, as if believing Rin might be nearby and come rampaging over to prove them wrong. "Though I am glad you look so well. Much better than I thought!"

"Oh, that's because Gou administrated some really good first aid last night that fixed me right up! Didn't you, Gou?!"

Gou let out a cough like she had gotten elbowed in the stomach. She knew Seijuro probably wasn't referring to… _that_ but the way he had said it…

Nagisa let out a giggle at her reddening face. "Wow, Gou-chan, you really do know how to take care of your husband-chan, don't you!"

"Sh—shut up!" If her face got any hotter her skin was going to literally melt off.

Seijuro scratched his head. "Husband-chan?"

Out of nowhere Haru stepped over to them. He extended a hand to help with their luggage. "Sorry," he said lowly, "for all the trouble."

Gou nearly stumbled at the words. Was Haru…was Haru actually apologizing  _for_  her brother? She almost couldn't believe it. Did he feel guilty somehow about last night? He was the other half of the equation of hostility that had been going on with her brother after all.

"You shouldn't be apologizing," said Gou with emphasis. "We were the ones who created that mess in the first place. If anything  _we_ should be the ones apologizing to  _you_. All of you have helped us so much these past few months after we created such a troublesome situation. There's no way we could ever repay that."

"Gou's right!" Seijuro instantly followed her statement. "That was bound to happen sooner or later with Matsuoka considering the troublesome situation we ended up creating. We brought that on ourselves by not clearing the air sooner." He smiled at Gou in an expression of shared camaraderie. "But despite all that and the mess we created, everyone here has helped us so much this entire summer without ever asking for anything in return. As Gou said we could never thank you enough for that, but—" He bowed deeply to them. "Thank you very much!"

"Seijuro…" Inside her chest Gou's heart swelled painfully. She waved her hand at her face to dispel the rising tears.  _What a wonderful man I have!_

"S—sei-chan…" Nagisa sounded like he was in the same boat as she was.

Goro sniffed loudly. He wiped an arm across his eyes. "He's my favorite!" he decreed, almost sounding like a wail.

"You're not supposed to pick favorites, Goro-chan!"

"I meant outside of you guys!"

In front of Seijuro, Haru shifted on his feet. His face was turned away, a faint dusting of red on his cheeks. He seemed completely unprepared on how to deal with such a situation, which meant of course Makoto would come save him.

"N—now, now, there's no need for that." Makoto moved forward waving his hands. "I mean, after all, if you two hadn't done what you did who knows how things would have turned out. We may never have gotten to meet all the wonderful people we did, or reconnect with old ones."

"That's right!" Nagisa chimed in. "We may never have gotten to swim with Rin-chan again!"

"Or gotten to eat that delicious meal last night," said Rei thoughtfully.

"Or swam so much," muttered Haru.

"Or drink so much beer!" said Goro, raising a can that had come from God knows where.

"Or gotten to watch por—" Gou nearly dive bombed onto Hana, covering the other girl's mouth hastily before she could finish her sentence.

"Well…" Amakata's eyes were unusually bright. She wiped at the corner of her eye. "As the famous Napoleon Bonaparte once said, 'there is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed'. Perhaps it  _was_  fate that we were all meant to come together here like this."

For a moment everyone was silent.

"Wow, Ama-chan-sensei!" Nagisa exclaimed. "That quote actually made a lot of sense this time!"

"Yes, it was quite befitting!" Rei agreed.

"Th—thank you." Amakata wiped away a stray tear, now looking almost like she was accepting a reward.

"Well, if that's the case then." Seijuro raised his fist into the air. "Let's have many more great adventures like this summer!"

"Yeah!" Nagisa and Hana cheered along with him.

"P—please no." Makoto's face was starting to turn that weird shade of blue. "I don't think I could take another summer like this." He placed his hand over his heart like he was having palpations.

Goro laughed uproariously. He clamped a hand onto the boy's shoulder. "We need to toughen you up, Makoto! Like I said before, we're going shark hunting as soon as we get back to Japan!"

"No, please…"

"Don't worry, Haru can come too! Wouldn't want to break up a new couple!" said Goro, ignoring Makoto's pleas completely. "You like eating shark, don't you, Haru?!"

"Mackerel," said Haru.

"Let us come too, Goro-chan! Rei-chan loves shark hunting!"

"I do not!" Rei spluttered. "I've never been and if it's anything like that horrid saw grass ride with the crocodiles I will never go!"

"Don't be like that, Rei-chan!"

They began to move off into the airport to drop off their luggage, Nagisa compelling Seijuo to join them on this supposed shark hunting trip (and Seijuro readily agreeing), Haru busily quizzing Goro about mackerel they could catch, and Makoto turning various shades of blue.

Gou followed behind, hiding a giggle behind her hand. Maybe Amakata's quote had been right. Maybe it had been fate that had sent them on this crazy wayward adventure this whole summer. A crazy wayward adventure that had all started because of one silly accident.

_Or maybe not accident._  Maybe it really had been fate at play.

She smiled. Fate or accident, she was glad to be here regardless.

* * *

"Did you get it?" Gou was nearly dancing in place as they stood at the luggage counter.

"Of course I did!" Hana dug into her bag. "You're lucky we lived so close to the market! I was able to swing by this morning. I know your mother will love this!"

"Oh thank god, thank you so much, Hana-chan." Gou let out a sigh of relief. In the end she had decided to keep the pearl ring. Too much had happened for her to bear parting with it now. It was a symbol of all that she and Seijuro had been through these past few months, and it reminded her of her mother besides. She couldn't imagine having any other ring than that as a wedding ring. But keeping the ring had meant she had to get something else for her mother. With such a lack of time for shopping she had been forced to beg Hana to pick something up for her.

"I swear I'll pay you back later!"

"Don't worry about it! Just set me up on a date with Mikoshiba-san's brother when we get back and we'll call it even." Hana winked at her.

"M—maybe." Gou had no idea what Seijuro's brother was like but maybe he would like Hana.  _If he's anything like Seijuro then he'll like…_ She mentally shook her head. No, no that would never happen. They couldn't be  _that_ alike could they?

"Here you go!" Hana held out something to Gou.

"Oh, thank you so mu—" Gou's words halted as her eyes fell on the thing. Staring back at her was none other than one of those creepy dolls Gou had seen when shopping with Hana previously.  _This is what I'm going to give my mother?!_ She struggled to keep a happy look. Hana had gone out of her way to help her after all. "T—thank you," she managed.

Well, maybe her mother would find it cute somehow? In a really creepy sinister kind of way. If she had time maybe she could have it resewn to look a little less creepy when they got to Japan.

Stuffing it into her bag, she pushed the oversized luggage over to the boys loading it all into check in. "Here's the last of it!"

"Thank goodness!" Makoto lugged the huge thing onto the counter. Finishing up there, they moved away into the main entry. "Alright, now that that's done we should head to our gate. Does anyone know which one it is?"

Amakata tilted her head. On her face was a sort of strange, strained smile. "Oh, did you not hear?" Her voice was even more strained. "Due to the airport not being that big they ran out of gates to place the planes, you see. We'll be boarding our plane directly outside at the tarmac."

"Outside?!" gasped Gou and Hana.

"Oh yeah," said Seijuro, as if suddenly recalling something. "They did mention something about that earlier, didn't they? Since so many countries are leaving on the same day they might run out of gates. I forgot about that."

"You  _forgot_ about it?!" Gou hissed.

"Don't worry, Samezuka is going to be boarding from the tarmac as well!"

"That doesn't make me feel better!"

"One last weird thing for this country to do," muttered Makoto. "I should have guessed they would. Isn't going down to the tarmac to board your flight dangerous?!"

"It's okay, Mako-chan!" said Nagisa. "It's their way of saying good bye to us! Their final send off!"

"Phrasing it that way almost sounds like they're planning on killing us," observed Haru. Next to him Makoto's face was turning blue again.

"With this country's history I'm not entirely surprised if that were what they were planning," said Rei.

They made their way down to the tarmac they would be boarding from. Thankfully there appeared to be a number of people doing the same and they were able to follow the crowd without much confusion. The crowd of people made Gou feel a little better about their situation. They were definitely not the only ones who would have to be boarding in such a fashion. If there were  _this_ many people it had to be safe!

"Looks like this one's ours." They came to a stop in near the side of a large aircraft. A set of large stairs had been rolled up next to the door, though they would not be boarding for some time yet.

"Looks like Samezuka is the next one over." Nagisa pointed.

Indeed they were. The other plane was close enough they could see each other well enough, but too far for them to associate easily. There was a fair crowd of Samezuka members already gathered there, though Rin was nowhere to be seen nor Nitori.  _They must not have arrived yet._ She had no idea what time her brother had gotten back to his own lodge to sleep. He may have gotten even less sleep than  _she_ had after the bomb she had dropped on him at the restaurant.

"Yep, that one's mine!" said Seijuro. He hefted his bag more firmly onto his shoulder. "I should get going, looks most of my team is already here." He stepped closer to Gou.

"I'll see you in a few hours."

_Oh yeah._ He was right. She'd likely see him again in the airport after they landed. That was more than a few hours away but at least there was that certainty she would see him one more time before ultimately parting. After that…well, there was no telling. It may be days or weeks before she got to see him again. They had their lives to return to after all. Not to mention their families…But that was in the future. And whatever happened she was sure they could see it through. "Okay!"

Seijuro bent down to kiss her. It was a brief kiss, discrete, but that didn't stop Nagisa from 'Ooooooh'ing nor Hana from making kissing noises. Gou shot them a withering glare.

"I'll see you all later!" Seijuro waved to the others, turning to depart.

"Make sure to call!" Goro looked like he might cry again.

"Sei-chan, we love you!" Nagisa might cry too.

_That's my line!_ Gou huffed. So much for their romantic parting! Everyone else had ruined it.  _Though I guess we made up for it last night._ Her cheeks flamed at the thought.

But now with Seijuro walking away, she could focus her attention on her embarrassing best friend. "Ha- _na_ -chan!"

* * *

Behind him Seijuro could hear the two girls yelling at each other.

"I'm going to rip your face off, Hana-chan!"

"Does that mean you want to kiss me too," came the cheeky response.

"Ugh! Don't say such gross things!"

Seijuro fought the smile from appearing on his face. He was relieved his back was to them. If Gou caught him smiling at her embarrassment he might be in trouble.

"Good morning!" he greeted his swim team jubilantly at his approach, though it wasn't long before they began acquiring about his face.

"Captain, your face!"

"Did you get in a fight?!"

"Of course not, of course not!" Seijuro hoped his laugh wasn't too plastic. He was the captain after all; he couldn't very well admit he was going around getting into fights. And with his  _own_ swim team member no less! Even if said swim team member's anger had been well warranted, for both their sakes it was better to keep this quiet. "I just got too drunk and smacked into a door!"

That excuse was greeted with a wave of laughter. "But you told  _us_ not to get too drunk!" someone protested laughingly.

"Sorry, sorry! I just couldn't control myself!"

_In more ways than one._ A goofy smile crossed his face. It was admittedly a bit hard to keep his hands off of Gou now that she had given that push into that frontier. Not that she seemed to be complaining about it  _at all_. Which made him like it all the more. He really liked when she was forceful actually.  _Yeah, yeah, I really, really like it!_

But there were other things that he really liked about her as well. Reasons that were much more significant.

Like when he had told her last night about why he had left his family home.

_He told her the whole truth, the whole unflowery truth. How he liked being in charge and not answering to someone else. How he valued his independence to the point he was willing to leave his family to obtain it. Saying all those things aloud had made even him feel like he was a complete jerk. They were pretty ugly facets of his personality he had always felt._

_He expected revulsion or apprehension from Gou, but when she opened her mouth to respond she stopped. Her face was frozen with eyes slightly wide as if struck by a sudden realization. Then she did something Seijuro would never have expected. She started laughing._

" _You're laughing?"_

" _S—sorry, I don't mean to, it's just—" She twittered some more. On her face was something Seijuro was unable to identify. Relief maybe?_

" _It just reminded me of my brother is all."_

" _Your brother?" He had no idea what she meant by that. Right at this very moment he didn't really care to know either. "But don't you think it's bad?" he had prodded._

" _Huh? Oh, no, not at all." She waved a hand. "My brother is the same way," she said. "The exact same way."_

He smiled. His worry and wishy washing had all been for nothing after all. Gou understood him better than anyone else likely could. Maybe it  _had_ been destiny that he fall for Matsuoka's sister of all people. She was the perfect piece to fit into his puzzle.

"You're smiling awfully hugely," came a disapproving tone, "for someone with such a bruised condition." Seijuro turned to face said disapproving person. "Good morning, Nakagawa!"

"Good morning," Nakagawa answered dryly. Next to him was Noro. The other boy was worrying his hands. For some reason he looked like he might cry?

"Captain." Nakagawa pressed the space between his eyes as if fighting off a headache. "I would like to ask you about some…things. Mostly in relation to the…incident from last night."

Seijuro didn't have to ask what he was referring to. He had anticipated something like this happening. Nakagawa was way too assiduous to let something like last night go.

"Noro has also informed me about a separate incident," Nakagawa continued. "One that occurred in the men's locker during the final swim team competition apparently—"

"I'm sorry, captain!" Noro burst. "I had to tell him! I didn't know what else to do! I mean after what happened in that locker room and what you said and everything and the dinner! I…I don't know what to think anymore!"

Oh, no wonder he looked like he was about to cry. Seijuro might have felt a little bad except the delight of knowing he was getting Noro back for interrupting his pool date with Gou was a little too satisfying.

He tried to fight the wide grin forming across his face. He shouldn't be so happy revealing this secret. But then again he had been waiting a long time hadn't he? He didn't have to hide it anymore. Now he could tell the world.

"Boys!" He flung his arms around both of their shoulders. "Do I have a story for you!"

* * *

Gou stood in the shadow of her own plane, watching the Samezuka captain walking jovially off with a very confused looking Nakagawa and a close to tears Noro. She wondered what the heck that weird looking threesome were up to, when it struck her that Nakagawa and Noro had been present at separate times when their marriage had been brought up. It was no wonder they were questioning Seijuro now. After hearing such a shocking thing it was no wonder they would want to know what was going on. Although why Noro was crying about it she hadn't the faintest idea.

Would Seijuro tell them the whole truth? Then again why wouldn't he? There was no reason to hide it anymore, was there?  _None at all._  In fact she was even looking forward to him telling them. Then they could be a real married couple in front of them without fear or worry.

A shadow fell across her and the feeling of a presence approaching made her look up. Her heart nearly skipped a beat. She had expected Makoto or Rei or maybe even Haru. Certainly not the person standing before her now.

"Brother."

Rin rubbed the back of his head. His gaze was elsewhere than on her and his shoulders were hunched. "Hey," he said after a moment.

"Hey." She had a pretty fair idea of what he was here for. To talk about the marriage. And likely demand she get a divorce. She had hoped to have the conversation after they landed but Rin was the sort of person who couldn't let things go easily. He'd likely break down the airplane door then allow it to take off without getting things off his chest first.

Beyond him she glanced Nitori hovering in the background. The way his presence was so obvious made Gou believe her brother had  _asked_ him to come along rather than the smaller boy just following him. If it were the latter he likely would have been waiting over by Samezuka's plane rather than so close.

Rin shuffled on his feet. "I'd like to talk to you, if you have a moment."

She fought the grimace from appearing on her face.  _Might as well get it over with._  Perhaps telling him now would be better anyway. By the time they landed in Japan he'd hopefully have run out of steam to continue yelling like a madman.

"Alright."

They moved off a bit away from the others for some privacy. She didn't miss the worrying glance Hana sent her way and Gou waved a hand back to indicate she was alright. No longer would she hide behind everyone else. This problem was hers to face alone.

"So," Rin dragged the word out, ending it with a cough, once they were far enough away from the others. "Haru and the others explained the whole situation to me."

"Oh," said Gou. She had expected this. "Good, then you know about the marriage and everything else then?"

She didn't miss the flash of those razor teeth clenching. She waited for the ensuing explosion she was sure to follow, the yelling about why she had done such a thing and the demand she get a divorce as soon as they land. But what she got was something she had not anticipated.

"Yes," he gritted out. Then, "That asshole better not have deflowered you."

Gou almost choked on her own tongue. That! That was the first thing he wanted to know about?!She fanned her face. Out of  _all_ the things and that was the utmost thing on his mind!  _Unbelievable. And he calls me the pervert!_

"N—no," she struggled to get the words out. "No, no, not at all."

She dare not mention what her and Seijuro had done last night. Or this morning. If Rin knew he might be temped to haul off and sock Seijuro in the face again.

"Good," he said. "I'd have to kill him if he had."

"Oh, I'm sure you would have." Her guffaw was dry.

Then again, now that she thought about it…if Rin  _hadn't_ punched Seijuro last night none of that might have happened. If Rin hadn't punched him, he and Gou might have returned to the house and just gone straight to bed due to the early flight the next morning. Amusingly enough it may have been Rin's own actions that had triggered what had occurred later on that night.

_Not that I can_ ever, ever  _tell him that._ Rin would want to die if he ever heard an inkling of that. Or kill Seijuro.  _Yes, likely that._

"You…you're not going to get a divorce, are you?"

She took in a breath. Here it was. The ultimate question she knew he was waiting to ask. And the answer she had been waiting to give.

"No." Her gaze did not waver from his when she said the word. "We're not. Not right away at least. We're going to wait and see how it goes."

She waited again for the explosion she was sure to follow. There was no way he was going to accept that without some sort of rebuff. Not in a million years would he agree to such a thing.

But only silence greeted her confirmation. Rin wasn't even looking at her. He was looking down at his shoes, hands in his pockets. "I see."

The only words spoken and they were soft, almost docile.

Gou narrowed her eyes. This wasn't normal. Even the Rin who had not yet left for Australia wouldn't have reacted this complacently. Even _that_ Rin would have protested at such a suggestion as her staying married. So what was going on?

A moment later she thought she had it. "You…you talked to Makoto, didn't you?"

The scowl brought to Rin's face was unmistakable. It was the scowl he wore when confronted about something he was guilty of. "Maybe," he snapped. "What's it to you?"

Gou had to fight off a smirk. Seeing him more like this was a bit of a relief. That overly accommodating Rin had been freaking her out too much. He had always been a bit of a stubborn jackass, even as far back as when they were kids. That was just who her brother was. She was glad to see that again.

"I just…" He looked away again. "I just wanted to think of your happiness first is all."

Gou stared. She was so stunned she wasn't sure how to react. Was this something Makoto had coached him to say? No, it didn't feel that way. The words felt genuine, not practiced or rehearsed. If anything this was something from the heart, like with most anything that Rin did.

"I know Makoto's been there for you this entire time," he continued when she remained silent. "He's been helping you this entire time with what you were going through and I…I didn't. You needed help and I wasn't there. I was too wrapped up in my own nonsense to pay any attention to anything else that was going on, not even what you were going through. I wasn't there at all. Not even that time in the ocean; that jackass had to save you instead." His teeth clenched. His throat worked. "That dumb jackass had to save you and now I can't even hate him like I'd like to." The words were almost choked.

Gou waited with baited breath. Was that a tear in his eye or the reflection of the sun?

"But I guess all that that means is that that idiot Mikoshiba has been there for you too," he said after a moment. "Despite having put you in such a shitty situation. And Makoto's been a much better big brother to you this whole time than I've been. So that's why…that's why I was asking him last night how I could be better big brother too."

Gou's eyes crinkled. "Brother…"

"But before that, I wanted to say sorry. For everything. What I said before, that night at the play, I didn't mean any of it. Even before that. I said some really hurtful, awful things to you and I just…I'm sorry. I've been a really horrible person these past few months and I just—wanted to—" His words came to a staggering halt. He ducked his head, his hair falling forward as if to shield him. There came a loud sniffle and Gou's jaw almost dropped. Rin had always been a bit on the overemotional side and a crier frankly, but she never would have expected for him to cry about this!

"Oh, please, don't do that!" Her laugh was like a halfway sob. "I mean what you said it wasn't  _that_ horrible…Um, okay, it was pretty rude honestly, but its fine! I mean think about some of the things I've said to you! Like remember when I told you I hated you because you drank my milk? That was pretty awful! And how I used to tell mom you were pinching me just to get you in trouble? That was pretty rude too! We've both done hurtful things to each other; that's just what happens when you have a sibling. Sometimes we say and do mean things in anger or spite, sometimes we take each other for granted, but then we apologize and we move on! We're family, that's what we do. Nothing could ever break that."

Rin peered at her from between his bangs. His face still looked a bit like a wadded, crumpled up napkin but maybe not quite as soggy as before.

"Besides," added Gou. "I'm sure there will come a time in the future when I'll say something  _just_  as mean to you. I can be just as much as a pain in the ass as you can be after all. Once the right opportunity comes up I'm really going to let you have it!"

Rin sniffled. He swiped at his eyes. "You promise?"

Gou smiled the biggest smile she could. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "I promise!"

Rin sniffled once more. Wiping away the last of his tears, he gave her a wobbly smile. "Thanks, Gou." He squeezed her hand back.

"It's not like my own situation wasn't my own making to begin with anyway," she continued with a slight laugh. "I was honestly hoping to fix it without ever having to tell you about it. I didn't want you knowing about what a silly thing I had done my first night here."

"Yeah, well." He grimaced slightly. "I don't blame you for hiding it."

Gou shook her head. "No, that was wrong. I  _should_  have told you from the very beginning. Rei was right about that."

The name made him look up. "Rei?"

"Yeah. He told me I should tell you about it right from the very start."

"He did?" asked Rin. Then before she could reply, "I like him a lot. He's a good person, a really good person. If he hadn't– at the competition then I wouldn't have…" He didn't finish that. Couldn't or wouldn't Gou wasn't sure. "I owe him a lot," he said instead.

Gou smiled. No longer did Rin view Rei as his replacement. Rei had become just as equal in Rin's eyes as the others of Iwatobi, if not more so. Rei had enabled that race that had returned Rin back to his former self.  _No._ It had turned him into the person he  _should_ have been. The person he was meant to be.

"You better make sure you repay him then!"

Rin smiled back. A full smile this time. "I will." He suddenly brightened. "Maybe I could tutor him. I know that whimsical idiot Mikoshiba has been already but I bet I could do better than him. I'd actually take Rei into the water for one."

Gou let out a light laugh. Well…at least Seijuro had gone from jackass back to whimsical idiot. That was a bit of an improvement she supposed. There was time yet. She was sure they would come to like and appreciate each other. They were family now after all.

Rin's hand was still clutched her own. She squeezed it once again, fighting the gleeful tears that arose when he squeezed back. At long last he had come back to grasp her hand. Just like that day they had come to learn of their father's passing and he had held her hand as they walked together in that funeral procession, an anchor to keep her from drifting.

But there was Seijuro too now, wasn't there? She glanced over where she could see his tall back facing her. He was there as well to grasp onto her hand to keep her from drifting out to sea, wasn't he?

But that was alright. God had granted her two hands after all, right? She could grasp onto both them.

"Speaking of which," Rin spoke suddenly from beside her. "Why  _did_  you get married, anyway?"

Gou closed her eyes, another smile creasing her face. That age old question. How many times had she been asked that question, she wondered, and the only answer she had been able to give was she didn't know why she had gotten married?

But now…now she finally knew the answer.

"Because," she said. "I love him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! *throws confetti* I had forgotten how much I enjoyed writing this fic! But I am glad it's finally finished!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this fic for how ungodly long it has taken to finish! Thank you to everyone who has read, left kudos, or commented. All your support is what truly kept me from completely forgetting about this fic and drove me to complete it after so long! Your support really means the world to me. Thank you so much!
> 
> On a last note, I will be marking this fic as complete, however I do plan to add a bonus chapter and maybe an epilogue later on. Hopefully that won't take another year to write out! Thank you all again so much!


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